Tow Your Camper With Caution

Posted on May 22, 2013 by Dr. Hook

Ahh the serenity of summer. Nothing like a trip up Manitoba’s highways with a portion of home tugging behind.

Yes friends, it’s camper season. Our mini mobile homes are ready to get hitched up and tugged to your camp site for another summer of usage.

Of course, the last thing anyone wants is for an accident to strike. As much as it might be satirized in Hollywood, a detached camper that separates  from your car or truck mid-haul is a major hazard on the road. Imagine, for example, getting detached on Highway 8 on one of the long stretches of one-lane road. Definitely something to avoid.

So before you load up and hitch up, keep these pieces of advice in mind:

1. Know Your Capacity – not all cars are created equal. There may be weight restrictions on how much your car can tow.

2. Know Your Hitch – Having a stabalizing bar as part of your hitch-up will help you avoid swaying. If you’re like many of us and have tossed the owner’s manual a long time ago, do a quick Google search for it to know what hitch will work best for your car or truck.

And if the worst happens, know that Dr. Hook is just a phone call away. Keep our toll-free number – 1-800-561-4665 – in your contacts list just in case you run into trouble.

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Call Us Before the Cops

Posted on May 8, 2013 by Dr. Hook

Walking out of a restaurant, shopping mall or even your office, there’s always that breath of relief when you can find your car waiting for you.

It’s a natural reaction. Given the number of auto thefts in Winnipeg, we are always on alert for our vehicles to be sitting safely where we left them.

At times though, we find that our vehicle isn’t where we parked, and the panic sets in. Even if there isn’t evidence of a theft like broken glass or a discarded break-in device, it’s natural to assume that your car has been stolen.

This isn’t always the case though. Your car may have been towed without you knowing it.

Determining if your car has been towed is fairly easy.

First, look for any signs indicating you’re in a tow-away zone. Signage may be obstructed by trees, faded past readability or have been vandalized, so you should do a thorough check to see if any warnings are in your parking area.

Second, check for any reserved parking signs. You may have accidentally parked in an owned space. Contact the property owners to see if they would have had any reports of improper parking. They may have called Manitoba’s leading towing company to remove your vehicle.

Finally, if you don’t see any signage, or don’t believe you have violated any parking laws, then it is still best to call Dr. Hook. We may have information on your vehicle even if you have reason to believe your car was indeed stolen.

Remember – nothing can be resolved by panic, and alerting the police may not be necessary. Take all the steps possible to ensure that your vehicle is indeed secure before calling Manitoba’s finest.

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Invading Your Privacy – How to Take Back Your Parking Spot

Posted on April 24, 2013 by Dr. Hook

While we live and breathe by a credo of being “Friendly Manitoba”, Winnipeg drivers will attest that when it comes to cars, you’re stepping into unfriendly waters (and we’re not just talking about changing lanes without “the wave”).

The reason for this is completely unknown, but its evidence is seen everywhere from office banter to call-in radio shows.

Perhaps the most aggravating element to Winnipeg drivers is when they invade one’s private space – the proverbial sacred ground that is the reserved parking spot.

If you ever had this happen to you, you know the frustration. The high price you or your company pays for this space certainly gives valid reason for said emotions – how you react though, depends on your comfort in dealing with a frequent erroneous parker.

Solutions can range from the simple leaving a note on the dash of the offending vehicle, to the more demonstrative case of ordering a tow; but generally, there are a few pieces to keep in mind:

1> Lot owners - The problem may not be with a driver, but with awareness of the parking space reservation. Signage may not reflect what the state of the spot is, or the offending vehicle owner may be confused as to which space belongs to whom. The lot owner may be able to help resolve this confusion.

2> Know the tow – Should you choose to go the tow-the-car route, check for signage in the parking lot. Usually, the parking lot owner will have a contract with a particular Manitoba towing company for you to contact for matters such as this.

If you have any other towing issues that require assistance, contact Dr. Hook Towing today.

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We’re Ready This Easter Weekend

Posted on March 27, 2013 by Dr. Hook

We’re in the midst of one of the most unique weeks in Winnipeg’s recent history.

Not only is it spring break for schools across Manitoba, but it’s also Good Friday and Easter weekend upcoming, not to mention Passover.

In combination, this means that traffic patterns are going to, quite literally, be all over the place. Our normal driving routines of 8:30 to work, 5:00 home will be almost non-existent as we go forward with an unusual set of paths – taking kids to the Museum, loading the family in the minivan to head to grandma’s… yep, it’s certainly not business as usual.

Add to this the recent snowfall and melt (hopefully the last for us!), and you’ve got a real mess on our streets and highways, even before the potential for accidents that can stall traffic and make you late for your various events.

At this point we do want to note to you that if you find yourself in an emergency and require roadside assistance from Dr. Hook, we will be available. We are on call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for your needs.

We wish you and your family all the best during this season. Enjoy this time of year with your family.

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The More You Tell Us, The Better Off You’ll Be

Posted on March 21, 2013 by Dr. Hook

Encountering car trouble is never a good thing.

Whether your car won’t start, has stalled in the middle of traffic or worse, there is a natural tendency to panic, and this fret can transfer from the moment of highest concern to the time when you call Dr. Hook for roadside assistance.

If you encounter such a situation though, there is an important thing to remember – the more we know, the better we’ll be able to assist you. While your natural instinct may be to say, “My car was making a funny noise and it just died at Portage and Main!”, the better you can describe the “funny noise” the better we’ll be able to help you first over the phone and again once one of our trusted experts is on site.

Factors that can assist us are:

1. Previous trouble – For example, this is the third time your car battery has died this winter or if the tire that just was punctured previously had a similar trouble.

2. Alarming noises – such as if you have been hearing your brakes squealing and are now facing a real issue.

But all of this comes hand in hand with the most important part of your action – don’t panic. We understand your urgency, but the calmer you are, the easier it will be to convey important messages to our staff.

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Beware the Re-Freeze!

Posted on March 13, 2013 by Dr. Hook

We were so close… so very, very close to winter being over.

With warmer temperatures over the last few days, pavement and asphalt could be seen again on sidewalks and streets, or at least through murky puddles. Like little kids, we would happily splash through these mini basins of water as we drove to and fro. Sure, we were still digging ourselves out of another large snowfall, but the end was in sight – our warmer days were in sight and we would soon be in the clear.

Then Tuesday evening happened.

With temperatures dropping into the -20 region overnight, freezing once again became an issue on Winnipeg streets, and with that comes the everpresent reminder of cautious driving.

Unfortunately, this cycle isn’t looking like it will slow down any time soon.

With this in mind, we want to encourage you to be mindful of road – and especially highway conditions around Winnipeg. Blowing snow from the previous fall (and another forecast to be on its way next week) is going to make driving harder, along with melt-and-freeze temperatures that look to take us almost through the end of the month.

Should an emergency arise, don’t hesitate for a moment to call Winnipeg’s towing experts. We provide roadside assistance both in the city and outside the perimeter, and can help get you back on the road.

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Emergency Preparedness: Keep Yourself Charged on the Road

Posted on February 26, 2013 by Dr. Hook

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.

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Be Prepared in Case You get Stranded

Posted on February 11, 2013 by Dr. Hook

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.

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Thanks are Unneccessary but Appreciated

Posted on January 16, 2013 by Dr. Hook

It’s often been said that a smile is all the thanks someone needs after doing a good deed; at Dr. Hook we believe this to be very true.

We often hear tales of this sort of gratitude from our clients after they have been helped from an unfortunate incident, but occasionally our drivers will also go above and beyond the call of duty – not for just rewards but because it is the right thing to do for the citizens of Winnipeg.

Such was the case last night.

This morning, Winnipeggers tuned into FAB 94.3 and heard Kelly Parker retell the story of one of our drivers who had knocked on his and other doors up and down his street, alerting him of the overnight parking ban while the city cleared residential streets of ice and snow.

Naturally, we were happy to hear that our operator had gone above and beyond in helping our city. We always like to see stories of our drivers doing a good deed in Winnipeg.

We would like to take this opportunity to remind Winnipeggers to be conscious of the overnight parking bans. If you’re not sure when your neighbourhood’s streets will be cleared, click here for an updated schedule from the City of Winnipeg and click here to find out which zone your home is situated in.

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Dr. Hook In the Community

Posted on January 4, 2013 by Dr. Hook

As a follow up to our series of “In the Community” blogs, we at Dr. Hook have put together a video montage of the events we’ve been proud to be a part of in the Winnipeg community.

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