Heavy-duty towing experts say it will be difficult or impossible to remove the hundreds of heavy trucks entrenched in Ottawa's downtown — unless the drivers allow it.
Trucks are parked south of a police roadblock on Metcalfe Street on Sunday as a protest against COVID-19 restrictions extends into its second week. Police say there are 500 trucks in the main protest area, and towing experts say they could be incredibly hard to remove. (Justin Tang/The Canadian Press)
Heavy-duty towing experts say it will be difficult or impossible to remove the hundreds of heavy trucks entrenched in Ottawa's downtown — unless the drivers allow it.
CBC counted 40 trucks on Kent Street and 109 on Wellington Street Friday, with dozens more on other streets spread around the downtown core. Then on Saturday, Ottawa police said 500 heavy trucks were in the so-called "red zone."
Trucker Lloyd Crowe from Picton, Ont., has been parked just a couple of blocks away from Parliament Hill since last weekend, but he's not worried about being towed.
"If you know anything about truck air brakes, once you pull that button, all 18 wheels are locked," Crowe told CBC on Wednesday.
"Nothing can move it, except maybe a big wrecker. And no wrecker worth his salt is going to come anywhere near this, because they're on our side."
City struggling to find willing towing companies: sources
CBC spoke to multiple towing companies across Ontario and while many weren't willing to be interviewed, several sources told CBC that the companies contracted by the City of Ottawa were refusing to tow trucks involved with the demonstration.
The city would not confirm or deny this, saying only that its bylaw department "uses several contracted services to assist with towing vehicles throughout the city."
On Sunday, the city declared a state of emergency, which among other things will make procurement more flexible, according to city solicitor David White.
While the city likely has some vehicles with heavy-duty towing capacity for large OC Transpo vehicles, they also did not provide a response when asked how many they had.
Bylaw and regulatory services director Roger Chapman said in a statement that 28 vehicles associated with the protest had been towed "for impeding traffic and blocking laneways," but it is not clear if any of those were commercial trucks.
Towing companies fear backlash
David Allen, president of Gary's Towing in London, Ont., said while towing a truck that doesn't want to be moved would be hard, it is physically possible — even if the air brakes are engaged.
Heavy-duty tow trucks can transfer air from their system to the trucks to release the brakes, Allen said. Failing that, they could "cage" the brakes, which involves manually backing the brake off each individual wheel.
"We have all the capabilities on our tow trucks to do it ... but I don't think anyone would want to," he said.
That's because many companies who provide heavy towing would be hesitant to risk their relationships with trucking companies, Allen said.
David Allen, president of Gary's Towing, says the political backlash and subsequent financial hit wouldn't be worth taking the job of removing the trucks currently sitting in Ottawa's downtown core. 0:48
The backlash against tow trucks brought in to help clear the blockade at the border in Coutts, Alta., has dissuaded many towing companies from taking work in Ottawa, he noted.
"It's the trucking industry you have to service on a regular basis," Allen said. "It would be really detrimental to our business to get involved with something like that."
Comment: If you sit though this propaganda puff piece slanted firmly towards the city, notice there is no proof offered for the 'violence and vandalism' the convoy is accused of. Just local people complaining that they are being inconvenienced. There is a complete disconnect between the capitol's liberal bubble and the fact that the protesters are the ones who supply their every need. They 'just want their lives back'. Well, so do the truckers.
'Virtually impossible' without driver co-operation
Heavy towing is a much more complicated process than towing a regular car or pickup, said Randy Whan, who owns Ward's Towing in Kingston, Ont.
Hooking up a commercial truck to a heavy-duty tower — sometimes called a "wrecker" — takes at least 30 minutes, Whan said.
They have to hook onto the truck's front axle, then supply air to the truck to release the brake and remove a driveline of some kind — difficult or almost impossible without the driver's co-operation, Whan said.
"In the end ... the trucker's going to say whether you're taking that truck away or not."
He added the average large truck has a lot of equipment, such as chains weighing 15 kilograms or more, that could be used to prevent someone from towing their vehicle without consent.
Hooking up the truck also puts the employee in a vulnerable position, as they need to go under the truck, he added.
"I honestly can't see it being done,'' he said. "Every person that would send a [tow] truck in there is putting their driver at risk for being injured ... You start removing those vehicles, you're going to have some pretty angry people."
Could take several days
With hundreds of trucks parked downtown, removing them all — if it could be done — would still take multiple days of round-the-clock effort.
Even in a best-case scenario with driver co-operation, it would take at least 10 hours to tow just the 40 trucks on Kent Street, Whan said.
But there's also the fact trucks are not often stopped in the ideal positions to tow, meaning workers have to spend extra time winching them.
"If you're in a tight parking lot, or you're hooking up on a 45-degree angle, obviously things are going to change a little bit and it's going to be a little bit harder," Whan said.
One previous job that involved towing more than 30 trucks and 28 cars in difficult positions took his company over 18 hours, he said.
It also takes time to tow the trucks to wherever they're being relocated to, and if the City of Ottawa did attempt it, they'd need to find a sizable space to put them.
Trucks could come back
Police don't think towing the trucks is an effective solution, said Matt Skof, president of the Ottawa Police Association.
"You can tow all you want — they're just going to return to the location, so it hasn't resolved the issue," Skof said. "And where are you putting all these vehicles?"
Towing large trucks is "incredibly logistically difficult," Skof said, and any trucks removed would likely be quickly replaced by new ones arriving. Even if barriers were set up to prevent their re-entry, that would just push the problem to another part of the city, Skof said.
"Blocking off the streets after you've towed everybody, [they could] then occupy another location outside of it," he said. "Then you've done nothing."
Some activists have alleged the Ottawa Police Service's treatment of the truck convoy has displayed a double standard, since in November 2020, officers moved in on a group blocking an intersection to protest the force's treatment of Black and Indigenous people within days.
Comment: The group also wasn't spread out over 24-square city blocks.
But Skof said removing the convoy is a more difficult task: "You're talking about pedestrians for one thing, versus vehicles that weigh thousands of pounds."
The decisions on how to ultimately break up the protest lie with Ottawa police Chief Peter Sloly, Skof said.
Sloly said Saturday the force still does not have a timeline for removing all trucks.
Ottawa Morning7:34Ottawa police requests more tow trucks in response to downtown protest
A heavy tow operator takes us through the logistical challenges of getting the trucks out by force. 7:34
Michelle Allan is a reporter with CBC Ottawa who has previously written for the Globe and Mail. You can reach her at michelle.allan@cbc.ca or @michelleallan.
Reader Comments
As for those who cling to a lost cause, I have nothing to offer you because you are the enemy and we know who you are and we know where you are at and we know this is a fight to the end because we know you don't know how to give up. That was your choice and now get ready for response to pompous perceptions of dominating others who are your equals. There are way more of us that you and the peasant rule, so learn the easy way or learn the hard way. Makes no difference to me anymore.
BK
The queen sadly and her progeny are just another set of old ideas whose time of demise is upon us.
I hope you are ready.
BK
Time to teach a lesson previous generations should have taught already, but if it falls to my generation to be the one to teach this lesson to generations past holding onto ideas of harm, then so be it. So be it. I'm ready. I hope you are ready as well. Be prepared.
[Link]
Ice Road Rescue
I know about the thread that is not there anymore, but I don't pass judgement on it.
You would be advised to recognize that the Canadian Truckers have touched upon the Spirit of Humanity.
Perhaps you already are, but if you pass judgement so quickly, then it makes me ponder whether you are really ready.
Just saying pal.
Ken
I respect the fact that this program is probably very entertaining, I enjoy shows like this. Moonshiners, deadliest catch, the curse of oak island are all good shows that I like. But even if it was a great program, one that I would really enjoy, it still wouldn’t persuade me to give money to that company.
Yeah I think the truckers are great and I am incredibly thankful for the services they are doing for the rest of us, but they have nothing to do with the fact Disney channel is corrupt and full of hidden sexual images specifically placed in young children’s movies. It’s been happening for decades.
So by principle I will not pay to watch a company corrupt kids. I cancelled Netflix because they released that horrific film sexualising young kids, but I still really enjoyed stranger things. But as much as I enjoyed that show, my cancellation remains in effect. I’m not passing judgement on anyone who watches Disney, I don’t think it’s up to me what people watch anyway. It’s just a decision that I came to, that’s all.
I don’t follow buddy?
Thanks for your comment 🙏
I'm not a fan of Disney either, but I sure learned a lot about towing big rigs and all the effort involved in the Norwegian Big-Tow Truck show......the individuals in the show were interesting as well - they seemed genuine. Somehow earlier in the scamdemic nonsense, that show was comforting for me.......oh well, I guess I'm softie for industrial scale delicate response to big-rig mishaps with determination and wisdom. I liked the fellas on that show. They were tough.
Best,
Ken
I hope all is well with you Ken, and hope your gardening is going well?
What happened to the Bills? I’m glad to see my Bengals are through, I honestly think it’s ours for the taking, just have to deal with those pesky Rams!
Go Bengals! (I'm not sure I'll watch the game my interest really dipped after the Bills lost such a great game in the final 13 seconds.....oh well).
As for my little garden project, I have so many plants growing so fine, I'm going to have to give some of the away to friends and family. That is my plan, but you wouldn't believe how well these sprouts have done, and next year I'll do better - I'm still learning the ropes on this, but I think I bring good skills to the table. I think I'm a natural, but maybe these plants will prove me wrong if I make a mistake - no matter, I'm from Buffalo - Buffalo always comes back better.
Ken
I’m having a little gathering at mine for the game, but over here there’s not a lot of people who follow the sport, which is a shame. Going to be a good night though, slow cooked food, many beers and no doubt a bit of weed to enjoy. I think it’s my 7th year doing it now, so it’s become a tradition without even realising.
That’s fantastic to hear about your success. I think tending to the Earth is in everyone, it just needs to be encouraged out. And I find there’s no better satisfaction than successfully growing your own, and being able to provide for people around you.
Keep those fingers green, Kendo!
All the best, buddy
Thanks Si - you are a pal.
Ken
Maybe one day we will actually meet in person, that would be great if you ask me.
And no need for thanks, that’s what pals are for, right? But your still welcome Ken
Si
This is how civil wars start. Dr. Jordan Peterson rips the Canadian press, police and government. Candice Bergen new Conservative leader ripped Trudeau a new ass, as he still hides....[Link]
Candice Bergen, [Link]
#LetsGoCastreau.....
COWARD !!