Tow companies, auto shops slammed

The brutally cold temperatures are causing issues for many car owners. Tow companies and auto shops are slammed right now, trying to keep up with drivers who are seeking help.A WISN 12 News crew was on the scene as Mark Salentine, general manager for Ray's Towing, Inc., worked to tow a stalled semi-truck. It was just one of the dozens of jobs on the docket Wednesday."You get calls from people who say, 'Hey, I've called a dozen companies, I've called two dozen companies, can you help me out?' But everybody's doing as much as they can. You know, we're getting five, 10 times more calls than we normally would," Salentine said.Salentine said it's to the point where they're having to turn some people away."We're knocking off what we can. For every one call we take, we might turn down two. But that's any towing company right now. They're doing everything they can," Salentine said.Salentine's crews have responded to countless calls. Ones similar to a truck WISN 12 News spotted stranded on the side of the freeway."The snow caused accidents and there's still some related to the snow and ice. But once you get into the deep freeze, that's when the job numbers really pop up from breakdowns from small cars to large trucks," Salentine said.The broken-down vehicles then end up in the shop for repairs."Cars not starting, batteries, alternators, a lot of tires," said Yaqub Hamdan, shop manager for First Rate Auto.Hamdan said they're slammed, too. "I mean, our workload has doubled," Hamdan said.The back lot of First Rate Auto was full of cars waiting on a fix. With more cold and snow in the forecast, there's no sign business will be slowing down any time soon."Right now I'm booking into next week and the week after that. But there's just some stuff that I've been having to turn down," Hamdan said.Hamdan recommended getting your car checked before it checks out. He said to get your car's battery life looked at by a professional and to keep your car out of the cold if possible. Salentine said Ray's is doing their best to get to everyone who needs a tow and asks drivers if they see a crew working on the highway to slow down and move over to keep their workers safe.

MILWAUKEE —

The brutally cold temperatures are causing issues for many car owners. Tow companies and auto shops are slammed right now, trying to keep up with drivers who are seeking help.

A WISN 12 News crew was on the scene as Mark Salentine, general manager for Ray's Towing, Inc., worked to tow a stalled semi-truck. It was just one of the dozens of jobs on the docket Wednesday.

"You get calls from people who say, 'Hey, I've called a dozen companies, I've called two dozen companies, can you help me out?' But everybody's doing as much as they can. You know, we're getting five, 10 times more calls than we normally would," Salentine said.

Salentine said it's to the point where they're having to turn some people away.

"We're knocking off what we can. For every one call we take, we might turn down two. But that's any towing company right now. They're doing everything they can," Salentine said.

Salentine's crews have responded to countless calls. Ones similar to a truck WISN 12 News spotted stranded on the side of the freeway.

"The snow caused accidents and there's still some related to the snow and ice. But once you get into the deep freeze, that's when the job numbers really pop up from breakdowns from small cars to large trucks," Salentine said.

The broken-down vehicles then end up in the shop for repairs.

"Cars not starting, batteries, alternators, a lot of tires," said Yaqub Hamdan, shop manager for First Rate Auto.

Hamdan said they're slammed, too.

"I mean, our workload has doubled," Hamdan said.

The back lot of First Rate Auto was full of cars waiting on a fix. With more cold and snow in the forecast, there's no sign business will be slowing down any time soon.

"Right now I'm booking into next week and the week after that. But there's just some stuff that I've been having to turn down," Hamdan said.

Hamdan recommended getting your car checked before it checks out. He said to get your car's battery life looked at by a professional and to keep your car out of the cold if possible.

Salentine said Ray's is doing their best to get to everyone who needs a tow and asks drivers if they see a crew working on the highway to slow down and move over to keep their workers safe.

Credits