Towing companies on city contracts refuse to move convoy vehicles

[Calista241]

Source: CBC

The tow trucks operators on contract to the City of Ottawa are taking a hard pass on requests to haul vehicles out of protest areas, according to the city's top public servant.

"I've contacted them all and they're all refusing, as of today, to provide heavy tow truck work," city manager Steve Kanellakos told reporters Monday evening after a six-hour special council meeting.

"Right now we're reviewing their contracts or standing offer, and reviewing what actions we can take to deal with this unprecedented situation."

More than 400 vehicles are parked illegally in the downtown core, according to Ottawa police, the majority of them heavy trucks (and at least one crane). One of several challenges facing the Ottawa Police Service and the city is how to get them off the streets if protesters refuse to drive them away.

...

"Right now, the consensus seems to be that many of them — or most of them — don't want to do the work because … they rely on on the the heavy truck industry for their livelihood, and they don't want to damage that part of their business. That's the position they're taking, at least."

Read more: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/tow-truck-ottawa-convoy-protest-refuse-1.6343177

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Towing semi-trucks is super difficult, and not just any tow truck is capable of it.

The Canadian military does have some armored recovery vehicles that would be capable of moving a semi truck, but we'll see what actually happens. The optics of putting tracked military vehicles (even though these vehicles are generally unarmed) on the streets could be a challenge.

[lagomorph777]

1. Cancel their contracts.

[madville]

8. The government will probably apologize

For inconveniencing the tow companies, this is Canada after all.

Most American cities would have arrested the truck owners at this point, and held them at least long enough to move the rig.

[BlueIdaho]

25. At least open those contracts to new bids...

A contracted service should be seriously questioned if they flat out refuse to do the work the government needs done. There needs to be a balance between union solidarity and public safety.

[FBaggins]

81. The vast majority of their business likely comes from truckers

It's unlikely that the government contracts are as important to them.

[DownriverDem]

2. Of course

it's related to money. Perhaps some tow companies near by can do it.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

4. Towing companies held hostage by the truckers. . . . nt

[Bernardo de La Paz]

3. Socket wrenches and cutting torches. Arrest and seize keys. Break in and hotwire. . . .nt

[Calista241]

6. That's easier said than done.

Once they seize the first vehicle, all the other keys for all the other trucks will disappear. Hot-wiring a modern car or truck is virtually impossible, and all cars and trucks can be easily disabled to prevent movement without specialized equipment.

Just one semi truck with 18 flat tires is going to stop the whole process. That vehicle isn't being moved without dedicated support and many hours of work.

[madville]

10. There are master keys for most heavy equipment

Including trucks, dealerships/mechanic shops have them. Freightliner has only had like 7 different keys over the years. Stuff like tractors and bulldozers are mostly keyed the same also, my John Deere tractor key works in almost any other JD tractor for example.

But sabotaging the equipment will definitely slow down any forced removal, especially if no commercial tow companies are willing to help.

[Ace Rothstein]

19. Sabotaging equipment is a great way to make sure it is further damaged.

Good luck filing an insurance claim on your 6 figure truck that was damaged during an illegal action by the owner.

[madville]

22. Probably wouldn't be the truck owners disabling them

Many wouldn’t destroy their own rigs but other actors in the area would probably have no problem slashing tires, cutting wires, pouring foreign substances into fuel tanks, etc.

[Gore1FL]

36. They ultimately made the choice to put their truck into an uninsured situation.

If I were an insurance company, there is no way I'd pay any claims.

[Warpy]

18. That was my idea, too

Nothing will slow them down quicker than flat tires.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

37. Cut the tires off and drag the truck on its rims. Start getting serious and truckers will capitulate

Some think it is all fun and games, but they do not have the ultimate upper hand. I guarantee you that after one truck is dragged away on its rims, and another is cut into with a torch to bypass any hotwire defeats, then most of the truckers will rethink.

Burn them in place, haul the pieces away, pave over anything left.

But it needs absolute perimeter control and determination.

[jmowreader]

41. You want to drag a 17,000-pound vehicle on its rims?

You don’t own an asphalt company in Ottawa, by any chance? Dragging that much weight around WILL destroy the pavement.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

63. Sure, but to every problem there is a way around, if the government is determined enough. . . . nt

[LiberatedUSA]

46. And the truckers standing by surrounding their trucks...

…will sit back and do nothing as they watch on? Lots of truckers there to swarm anyone going in to cut a truck up. Some may have guns in their trucks.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

62. What part of " absolute perimeter control" do you not understand?

[LiberatedUSA]

64. I'm just enjoying...

…watching your fantasies of what you’d like the government to do to the protesters. I saw a lot of what the other side fantasized about the government doing to all those protesting for the entire year of 2020.

You are very enthusiastic in your daydreams!

[Bernardo de La Paz]

65. Sure. It's easy for me, but a key point is that the government would have the right to do it

... in this case.

As to the other side, there was no right in their fantasies. The ones I saw were just criminal.

[NanananaFatman]

80. If they do have handguns, they going to prison.

Canada ain’t the USA.

[2naSalit]

5. Arrest the "protesters"...

Who are obstructing and get whatever equates to National Guard out there and get it fucking done! They don't have an orange enemy of the state in charge, they need to get on top of this shit.

[harumph]

7. Trucking will be one of the first sectors to go full on AI control

A computer doesn't need to sleep. Because the trucks won't have to
stop at the other required break times, cargo can be delivered
more efficiently. Truckers days are numbered. I'm not
saying this with glee - but it is what it is.

[GB_RN]

13. Pretty Much...

A test drive with an automated truck was just done from Texas to California and it made the trip in 24 hours versus (I think) 3 days for a human driver, due to human endurance and legal limitations on drive time.

Once all the bugs with the AI for the "driver" are worked out with respect to stop signs, traffic lights and the like, truckers (and cabbies) will be looking for new employment. It's no different than in retail stores and fast food restaurants with order kiosks and self-checkouts...

[madville]

68. That's the misconception many have about trucking

That it’s mostly long haul interstate driving just pulling a trailer when in reality something like 80% of the trucking industry and CDL drivers are in specialized roles, concrete, dump, grocery, beverage, fuel and chemical, milk, water, LTL delivery, etc. All those jobs require a driver that doesn’t just drive, they also have other intricate or manual labor tasks to perform on either end of the driving portion.

An automated truck may eventually be able to fill a small portion of the trucking sector but human CDL drivers will still be in demand the rest of our lifetimes.

[madville]

16. Decades away

No one is going to unleash self driving trucks anytime soon. Someone will say a self driving truck travels between Tesla factories, sure, with a driver on board to take over. That’s also a defined route with mostly freeway in an area with excellent weather.

Let me know when they let them loose in snow covered areas, high wind areas, high traffic areas, high pedestrian areas, etc. People also forget or don’t know that the driving is only half the job for many truck drivers. For example, Flatbed drivers also often have to tarp, strap and inspect their loads throughout the trip, and then remove all the securement, roll up the tarps, etc, often in the snow or mud at construction sites.

We’ll all be long gone before they have robots that can do the manual labor involved with many trucking jobs.

[Calista241]

27. I don't know if it's decades away, but it's definitely not anytime soon.

If you look at airplanes, we've had autopilot technology for 25 years, and haven't had a technical need for pilots for 20 years. Yet, every airplane that carries goods or people in the world today has at least 2 pilots on board.

Even unmanned military drones are physically piloted by a human in some office somewhere.

[DENVERPOPS]

45. LOL

Just think about the Boeing 737MAX.......or better yet, watch Air Disasters on a cable channel........
Granted many accidents are caused by pilot error, but there are many times a quick thinking pilot has turned off a faulty computer in order to save the plane and people. Also the Pilot coming up with some solution to compensate for a defective part or poorly maintained plane......

[nvme]

47. Watching too many movies

[DENVERPOPS]

50. Really???????

Have you ever talked to any major airline pilots, holders of an A & P license, or someone who is an ATC ???????????

[nvme]

54. beyond small planes, how many crashes in the last 2 years have there been?

[DENVERPOPS]

56. Your question should be

how many crashes have been averted by pilot intervention................

[madville]

70. Watching the Tesla self driving beta testing

Passenger cars are still a decade or two away. Millions of variables to account for in the programming/AI. In the stuff I was watching the human driver had to take control many times in just ten or twenty minutes of driving due to pedestrians, double parked cars, stop signs, oncoming traffic at intersections without lights, etc.

[patphil]

61. I agree, the concept is sound, but the implementation is still at least 10-20 years away.

There are just too many unique situations happening on the roads to leave it in the "hands" of a computerized system.
City driving is difficult enough for us. How do you program courtesy and driver/driver or driver/pedestrian visual communication into it?
And then there is the problem of developing accidents around the vehicle, and emergency vehicles rushing around.
Not to mention speeding drivers who do sudden lane changes right in front of you.
I've driven a lot in NYC...it's not fun.
It makes managing a huge rig weighing over 60,000 lb. and traveling at highway speeds on the interstates seem easy.

[Archae]

9. The Weather Channel has prime-time shows about these companies...

I wouldn't want to do this sort of work even normally, based on what I saw.

[madville]

17. Yep it's very specialized

Need operators with years of training and the equipment is very expensive, some of those tow rigs are easily over a million dollars.

[DENVERPOPS]

49. YUP

and if I owned one, I wouldn't want to take it into that mess, only to have it vandalized, destroyed, or set on fire by the rioters......

I worry that this tactic will catch on all over the U.S. in major cities, especially with trucks that the driver doesn't own, so the won't care what happens to their rigs..............

Typical corporations! Drivers are really pretty much underpaid as a group for the hours and tension they have driving a 50 ton rig.
In case anyone hasn't noticed the skyrocketing amounts being charged by freight companies this past year, should ask how much their driver's pay has increased during that time period........

Just another industry of workers that was destroyed when their teamsters union was obliterated.......

Some of the few remaining (Large) unions that are being targeted by the wealthy oligarchs and Corporations are two of the largest unions:

The United States Postal Worker's Union and the Federal Workers Unions.........

[lagomorph777]

11. Cut up the trucks and haul them to the crusher.

Give the drivers a choice: Stay with the rig, or be arrested.

[Calista241]

21. That's 6 months - 1 year worth of work cutting up and destroying 400-500 trucks.

Meanwhile, the streets the trucks are on are still blocked.

[lagomorph777]

31. Then use the giant helicopters as suggested by another DUer.

Just drop 'em at the dump. From high altitude.

[Calista241]

33. A CH-53 heavy lift helicopter has a maximum lift capacity of 35k lbs.

unloaded semi trailers weigh 10k lbs, and the cabs can weigh 25k lbs. If there's anything in the trailers, they can weigh upwards of 80k lbs. If they are 1/4, 1/3 or 1/2 loaded, that's way, way outside the lift capability of any helicopter in the world.

CH53's are also super fucking expensive to operate, upwards of 20k per flight hour. Canada also doesn't own any. They do own and operate a total of 15 CH-47 Chinook helicopters, but those have a lift capacity of 20k lbs, which is not enough to lift the cab of most semi-trucks.

Dropping a load from high altitude is funny, but it is not smart. If any problems happen, and you've lost an expensive helicopter, and probably the lives of a few pilots and a loadmaster.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

38. Use heavy lift cranes. . . . nt

[JT45242]

12. seems like a breach of contract

First, I would arrest the protestors.

Second, tell any company that refuses to honor the contract that they will be hit with any and all penalties in the contract for failure to live up to the contract. Also, point out that a new policy will be enacted that failure to live up to a contract will result in some penalty on future contracts (reduced score on the rubric, ban, surcharge, etc -- make it economically painful). If they still refuse, hit them with the penalties. Then write the new policy so that their willingness to side with insurrectionists and a coup has long term economic consequences.

Third, remove the trucks by any means necessary. If the vehicle is destroyed, tough. If it is made unusable in the commission of a crime. Tough.



I know that isn't the Canadian way. but bringing in dumpster trucks and cutting them into pieces and salvagaing the scrap metal would be a good punishment for these idiots.

[pandr32]

14. Something's got to give

These aren't union truckers and whoever they work for should be held accountable--even if it is their own company. Heavy fines need to be levied against the companies and possibly charges. The trucks should be seized and the drivers arrested. These trucks are being used to hold a city, the Canadian Capitol, hostage.

[gab13by13]

15. Fine the owners of the trucks,

take down the license numbers and fine the owners 5k per day.

[Maraya1969]

20. Can't Canada take possession of the trucks now that they are breaking the law?

And sell them off at auction?

[Hekate]

23. This is madness

[bucolic_frolic]

24. If we categorize everyone by occupation, ANY of them can paralyze society with strikes

We are headed down an uncertain path

[ancianita]

26. Isn't there city towing? Most cities have their own towing trucks for traffic control.

[Calista241]

30. Towing trucks that move cars are one thing.

Towing trucks that move semi's are very expensive, very specialized equipment. Not just any tow truck driver can even operate them. Here in the US, they have to have a special license, and government use of those services isn't very large.

The only group that regularly needs those services are truck drivers that happen to break down, and the towing operators are afraid of losing that business if they assist the government in seizing assets.

[lark]

28. Fire the colluding assholes and find less rw companys to work for the city.

I'm sure there are those that would be glad to do the work.

[nvme]

48. I despise what they are saying and their methods, BUT

They are exercising their right to protest.

[Maraya1969]

51. But look at what they are protesting about? Not money or security. Friggin vaccines!

Usually I support protesters but these people are just acting like babies.


And what the hell do they think they are going to accomplish with this nonsense?

[nvme]

53. I believe in the right to protest

The more people see the grotesqueries of ideology, the better the public will see the truth.
And if the balance of power shifts, wouldn't you want to be afforded the same respect? I hate their message, but I believe in their right to say it.

[Violet_Crumble]

73. I doubt you'd say that if you lived in Ottowa...

I live in Canberra, Australia, where a much smaller (maybe 2 or 3 trucks and a couple hundred cars) bunch tried the same thing. I'm used to protests and even if I don't agree with the message, I'll support their right to protest. But blocking roads, abusing and harrassing locals, and trying to damage local businesses who refuse service to dumb morons who won't wear masks isn't protest. It's trying to hold the residents of capital cities hostage.

And I also have a bit of a problem respecting the 'protests' of idiot sov cits who want to overthrow a democratically elected government and install some religious nutjob as dictator. Not sure if it's that crazy in Ottowa, but the livestreams of the Australian nutters and their factions all arguing with each other is really great entertainment.

[nvme]

77. It's civil disobedience

If they raise a hand to do harm to so another person, then quash the violence. I support being rude, annoying, loud, argumentative, but I never condone any sort of violence. I hope I am clear with that.

[Violet_Crumble]

79. No. It's not.

How is blocking roads and blaring horns and doing things intended to make life miserable for locals civil disobedience?

How is bullying and harrassing locals for wearing face masks civil disobedience?

And how is refusing to leave my local pub when refused service coz they wouldn't wear masks civil disobedience?

These are happening where I live so I'm thinking things are do much worse in Ottawa.

[nvme]

82. What is the solution then?

HMMMM Violence? Call the cops? Listen to them. Yell back? WHAT?

[Violet_Crumble]

83. What was done here worked...

After they'd caused a big local charity (suicide helpline called Lifeline) to cancel their annual book fair due to security fears and driving the Farmers Market out of the showgrounds, they had their actual protest and then went back to abusing and harrassing locals. Originally they were physically removed when they started camping in the Parliamentary Triangle and given temporary camping locations at the showgrounds but told they had to be out on the 13th so the Canberra Show could set up. Many left and went back to their home states the day before, but others ignored the warnings the police gave and finally this morning when a few hundred straggling 'freedom fighters' still refused to move, the cops went in and dismantled their tents and made them leave. A few were arrested, and the rest scattered trying to find free camping, something which just doesn't exist here.

Protests aimed at the government are one thing and are supported by most everyone, but in Ottowa, Wellington and here, it was not just that as they didn't leave and hung around to abuse locals and try to disrupt their lives. Glad our cookers are gone even though the hardcore ones vowed to return...

[Mysterian]

29. Like they say, cancel the contracts

and hire some bulldozers to move the fucking trucks.

After the first one, the rest will go away.

[NurseJackie]

32. Call in the military. Confiscate the trucks as abandoned/unwanted property. Sell the trucks.

[Backseat Driver]

34. For anonymous "activists" on a burner?

A few sites that include various means to contact information for "Best rated towing companies in Ottawa":

https://www.bestinottawa.com/top-towing-ottawa/

https://threebestrated.ca/towing-services-in-ottawa-on

[gab13by13]

35. Fine the owners of the trucks,

First make an announcement if trucks aren't moved the owners will be fined 10k per day.

[bluestarone]

72. I believe YOUR response is the best so far

I also say FINE them $500 a day then after first 3 days ( if they have not tried to contact someone to haul them out) raise it to $10,000 a day until moved! I believe the toll truck operators WILL move them if contacted by the owner of the trucks. Best choice here.

[MarcA]

39. Jail the drivers/owners until they move their vehicles.

In addition to fines and court costs. Let's see how committed
to their freedumbs they really are.

[IbogaProject]

40. Close to impossible to tow w/o driver cooperation

I've read that the issue is that to tow a big rig tractor the tow company needs help from the driver. Otherwise they have to climb under the thing to patch into the air brake line and a few other details to cover before the tow can commense. They should just start piling up tickets and arrest the driver whereever they are for riot or whatever legal process they can do.

[jmowreader]

43. It's not that hard

There are six wheels on a big rig - two steer tires and four dual wheels on the powered or “drive” axles. The drive wheels have emergency brakes with springs to automatically apply them if you lose air pressure. You insert a bolt into the air chambers for each of these wheels and compress the springs, and the brakes on those wheels are disabled. Then you disconnect the driveshaft, which is one bolt at each end, and the truck rolls freely.

Why someone hasn’t thought to unhook the batteries and drain the air tanks on these rigs to silence the horns is the question of our time.

[DENVERPOPS]

55. Your first sentence stopped me cold......................

Six wheels on the tractor part of an over the road semi???????????????

Maybe you should go to a major highway and count the wheels on the tractors passing by.....

Are you for hire to go into THAT crowd to unhook the batteries and drain the air tanks.....???????????

[jmowreader]

57. Yup. Six wheels on the tractor.

Four of those wheels are made out of two tires bolted together. There’s also a “super single” tire which is twice as wide as a regular truck tire. If you want to add the trailer that many of these guys aren’t carrying, it’s 10 wheels (eight that are duals or super singles) on an 80,000-pound truck. If you’re running 295/75R22.5 tires, the most common size - even the most no-name truck stop out there will have a few of each of the three kinds of tires on a truck in this size - you’ll have 18 tires on a three-axle truck and two-axle trailer…but only 10 brake chambers.

[bahboo]

42. seems to be a complete breakdown of law and order there...

very dangerous if it emboldens the assholes...

[mackdaddy]

44. I was a kid during the trucker strike in the mid 70s. There are ways.

The Ohio state highway patrol brought in big National Guard wreckers like they use for tanks. They ripped a few of the trucks in half as they were towing them off the highways.

Those wreckers were huge.

[bello]

52. CAT 988K Block Loader (forklift)

Give me a CAT 988k block loader (forklift) and I’d have those trucks outa’ there before lunch. -B

[Ziggysmom]

58. Maybe start removing the license plates and cancelling their registration/licensing. Now you cannot

make any money with that truck VIN going forward if owned by the individual of record at the time of the offense. Hit them in the pocketbook. Money talks.

[appleannie1]

59. Cancel their city contracts and start using snow plow to push the trucks into lots.

Pick out the operator owned trucks to push first.

[patphil]

60. So, cancel the contracts, bring in the military and impound all those vehicles.

[Roy Rolling]

66. Tighten the Screws

Ask them to move their trucks.

If truckers refuse, call a tow truck.

If tow trucks refuse, make note of a contract breach and call someone else.

If nobody else shows up, declare the equipment legally abandoned and call the salvage yards.

If salvage yards fail to show up, call the looters.

When there’s just abandoned shells left, call the garbage truck

Whatever you do, don’t abandon the enforcement because truckers say so. Who’s in charge?

[Emile]

67. Use the Canadian military and confiscate their trucks if they don't move them.

[UserNotFound]

69. Maybe

Revoking their licenses and registration might get their attention...?

[Atticus]

71. Here's a thought: hire several crews with acetylene torches and start cutting the rigs apart and

hauled away for salvage.

"Move it or lose it!"

[mahatmakanejeeves]

74. Whew. What a relief. I was afraid that all the DUers who were working as structural engineers

when that tower in Florida collapsed last June would be out of work now that that's no longer in the news.

Instead, I see they've all found employment knowing exactly what to do about all those trucks in Ottawa.

[Jedi Guy]

75. That actually made me laugh out loud. +1

[discntnt_irny_srcsm]

76. Clearly this is a problem requiring some cooler heads.

As I under stand it, these vehicles are illegally parked and are not easily moved. I suppose in some cases the tractors and trailers of each rig may be owned by different entities. The owners of record are registered somewhere.
Steps:
1. Owners are directed to move their property within 12 hours.
2. Any remaining property will impounded where it sits and sold at online auction. They will be electronically re-titled and registered to the new owners. Starting bids at $1,000. (Bids of $1,001 will be accepted)
3. New owners have 12 hours to move the vehicles.
>>>wash, rinse, repeat

All original owners are held individually and severally liable for damage to public and private property, business and government costs and loss of income plus whatever the usual parking and obstruction fines. Operators/drivers that interfere are jailed for contempt for a minimum of 30 and subject to further criminal prosecution.

Play stupid games, win stupid prizes.

[keithbvadu2]

78. Start cancelling licenses and applying fines for illegal parking and various traffic infractions.

Start cancelling licenses and applying fines for illegal parking and various traffic infractions.

No unemployment for quitting.

Daily violations.