Tow Truck Driver

What is a Tow Truck Driver?

Duties

Below are the duties performed by a tow truck driver:

• Using a transport truck with various equipment like chains, blocks, winch and electric controls to confiscate abandoned, stolen, impounded or confiscated vehicles for the local authorities.
• Transport unwanted or broken-down vehicles to places such as mechanical workshops, the towing company property, vehicle dismantlers and panel-beaters for next steps.
• Get to the concerned location and spend time interacting with clients to establish a good rapport for quicker problem solving.
• Take care of all required paperwork associated with tow trucks like reports on condition of trucks, a daily log on driving assignments, purchase of fuel and mileage.
• Manoeuvre tow truck to assigned scene safely, i.e. drive through often difficult road conditions like heavy congestion, bad weather and narrow loading or unloading points.

Day In The Life

As a tow truck operator, most of your day consists of interacting with a dispatcher on a regular basis and driving to the destination of an accident or vehicle break down.  You would efficiently connect the vehicle to the tow truck, and transport it to the required location, such as a service station or the junkyard. It is your responsibility to ensure that the disabled vehicle is successfully attached to the tow truck. According to the type of tow truck you work with, this may include using equipment like steering locks or chains as well as attaching lights onto the specific vehicle towed.

You will spend some time communicating face to face with diverse clients, informing them about their automotive issues after diagnosing the cause and ensuring the required support. In this regard, you will be expected to converse fluently and have a basic understanding of cars and automotive parts. Once in a while, you will take on other tasks like minor repairs on the scene of a breakdown such as changing tires, reconnecting various parts, and jumpstarting a broken-down car. You should have a firm grasp over common techniques in automotive maintenance and repair and most of this is usually learned on the job. After a successful assignment, you will make sure to write out a detailed report of the type of services provided and the payment rate accepted.

Work Schedule

There are part-time and full-time openings available for tow truck drivers. Most have to work in different shifts through the week, which includes nights and weekends. You must be comfortable working on the go, from spaces like your truck, deport, on the roadside and in parking lots. Further, there are a few risks that can arise in this profession, such as accident scenes and overcrowded roads. You must also be in good physical shape since the job requires strenuous movements like bending, lifting and climbing especially for tough salvage assignments.

Growth Of The Job

It is a great time to be working as a professional tow truck driver, since there is always a demand for a new driver due to the high turnover of existing workers. This is primarily due to old age and moving to better opportunities.

Typical Employers

Tow truck drivers are hired by local and national towing companies, companies offering truck dealerships, travel and insurance. At the moment, here are a few examples of employers hiring for similar positions: Copart, Inc., AAA, Rush Enterprises, Mossy Automotive Group, Caliber Collision, and Bobby & Steves Auto World. Employers value applied skills like automotive knowledge, customer service potential and bilingual communication skills.