Category Archives: Roadside Assistance

What to do While You Wait

While the weather over the last couple days hasn’t felt like it, summer is indeed still here and with that comes a lot of potential for careless driving as people zip through the city en route to a lakeside destination or local festival.

This activity unfortunately can lead to car accidents, and with busy streets it can mean a wait for your tow.

If this does happen to you (and certainly we hope it doesn’t), there are things you should do in the interim:

1> Take photos of your damage. Having photographs that show the damage to your car and the location of your incident will help you if you have to make an Autopac claim. The more evidence you have the better.

2> Take out any necessities. It’s natural to panic, but be sure to remove anything from your car that you may need over the period when you won’t have it, including garage door openers, phone chargers etc.

3> Stay with your car. In worst-case scenarios you may have to go into a business to use their phone or be outside your vehicle if it has been in a severe accident; but you should stay in the vicinity (or inside) your automobile, rather than watching it from afar or thinking that you can duck into a coffee shop. Dr. Hook drivers get to the location of a crash as quickly as possible, so be sure to stay nearby.

What Does Roadside Assistance From Dr. Hook Do For You?

We never plan to need roadside assistance – we just have it for when we need it.

But do you know what your Roadside Assistance with Dr. Hook Towing covers? It’s a lot more than you probably think:

Fix that Flat – More common than you think, a flat tire can put a damper on your day or weekend. But don’t panic! A call to Dr. Hook will be all you need to get back on the road.

Running on Empty -We all do it – the gas light pops up brightly on our dashboad and we say to ourselves , “I’ve got plenty left in the tank – I can wait to fill up.” Maybe we’re desensitized to that light too much. If you find yourself in a gasless bind though, Dr. Hook can help.

Key Retrieval – This one is one we’ve all done, but will never admit to (especially to our kids) – locking your keys in the ignition or sitting on your driver seat happens. A quick call to Dr. Hook (as long as you didn’t lock your cell in your car also…) is a simple solution to getting your key back from the worries of your sealed car.

Along with these services, we can also help you with battery troubles, but more often that is associated with cold weather, and we don’t want to think about that just yet.

For more information on Dr. Hook’s Roadside Assistance, click here.

Tow Your Camper With Caution

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.

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

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.

Beware the Re-Freeze!

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.

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.

Stay Safe this Holiday Season

Winnipeg is unquestionably in the holiday spirit. Whether it’s on the streets or in our homes, the festive season is vibrant and alive in our city.

With the celebration, however, unfortunately comes over-celebration, and that’s when we, unfortunately, have to do our job over Christmas and New Years.

The reality is that no matter how often and how repeated the word is spread by organizations like Operation Red Nose, drivers in Winnipeg aren’t always conscious of how many drinks they’ve had amidst their celebrations and their hazardous effects. They may think that the augment of a healthy serving of food for dinner that their tolerance is bolstered, or they may think that the difference between two and three drinks is minimal.
Combine this with what can undeniably described as treacherous conditions in our city then we have the recipe for disaster in Winnipeg. Single or multivehicle accidents are far too common and can not only ruin a time that should otherwise be peaceful.

It goes without saying that we strongly advise Winnipeg drivers to play it safe and maintain a low consumption of alcohol during the holiday season, but as we stated above there will always be people that don’t heed this word.

So instead, we’d like to remind all drivers in Winnipeg to be aware of the conditions around them. Getting to dinner or a club 15 minutes late won’t hurt you, but being sideswiped will. Don’t rush to get home because of your babysitter – the extra few dollars for them to stay while you drive slowly and carefully far outranks the price to have us come and haul your vehicle away from a crash.

From all of us to all of you, have a happy, healthy and safe holiday season.

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.

Is Your Car Ready For the Summer Heat?

When winter sets in, people are generally very concerned about their vehicle’s readiness.  They check their antifreeze, and make sure they have everything they need to deal with snow and ice.

People are more carefree when it comes to preparing for the summer.  Unfortunately, more car problems occur in warmer months, because we tend to drive a lot more when the weather is nicer.  Here are some tips that can help you ensure that your summer travels are as trouble-free as possible:

1. Coolant level. Make sure that your radiator is full, and that your car’s cooling system is working properly.  Nothing is harder on an engine than overheating.

2. Tires. Make sure your tires are properly inflated and maintained.  Tire pressures will rise in the heat, which can turn a slow leak into a sudden problem.

3. Windshield Cleaning Fluid and Wipers. Dirt and insects can build up very quickly on a windshield, reducing visibility (especially in the sun).  Make sure you can clean them away effectively.

4. Lights. Make sure your headlights are working, and that the lenses are clean and free of “chalking”.  Makes sure signal, brake, and taillights operate properly.  You want to be certain that you can see and be seen out on the road.

Despite your best efforts the unforeseen can occur, and breakdowns can happen.  Take your phone with you, and enroll in Dr. Hook Towing and Recovery’s Guaranteed Roadside Assistance program.  You’ll know that no matter what time of day or night, an experienced professional will be dispatched to help you get on your way.  Dr. Hook offers program members accurate information about timelines and guaranteed access to service.  Your call will always be answered.  For more information visit this link.