“Most people, when you’re in an accident, or your vehicle is broken down – it’s a first for you. But we deal with this every single day, multiple times a day – so we know how to get you back on the road. Whether that be getting your vehicle to the impound and then to a body shop, getting it home, getting your tire changed, whatever it is – this is what we do, and we’re very good at it. You may not deal with this every day, but we do – and you want to call someone that has experience.”
This is from Steve Franks, who co-owns ATR Logistics with his wife Andrea Allegretto.
Operations Manager Tyler Reed notes that ATR responds to “probably north of 60 calls on any given day.”
And they’re busy for a reason.
Allegretto explains that it all began back in October of 2008 when Airdrie Towing and Recovery was launched.
“Over the years we transitioned from just towing vehicles by adding long-haul and equipment moving to the mix, so the name changed from Airdrie Towing & Recovery to ATR Logistics to capture more of our customer base.”
All this to say, the crew at ATR are experts when it comes to knowing what to do in a roadside emergency.
“When you get into an accident, first make sure you’re safe,” instructs Franks. “Then ensure the people in your vehicle are safe, and then that the people in the other vehicle are safe. People tend to get out of their vehicle and start walking around in traffic, which could cause you to get hit.”
“If it’s possible, move the vehicles to the shoulder so you're not obstructing traffic,” adds Reed. “That will also reduce your chance of being struck a second time.”
“Next, call 911,” continues Franks. “They'll ask what your name is, where you are, what's going on, how many people, injuries… and as they're doing that, there’s a second person at 911 who’s dispatching police, fire, and EMS, so it's important to give as much detail as possible.”
Reed says you’ll also need to exchange information with the other driver, such as insurance, registration, driver’s license, and contact information.
Allegretto adds that it’s important to obtain police documentation so if your vehicle is not drivable, you'll know where it's being towed to, so you can inform your insurance company accordingly.
“If you're going through insurance, you’ll need a file number from the police,” explains Franks. “The police file number is one of the main things your insurance provider requires in order to start and process your claim. When you come to the tow yard, we require the claim number from your insurance company – so before you're done talking with the insurance company, make sure you get that claim number. It’ll make things really easy when you come to the impound to grab your belongings and look at the vehicle. You won’t have to exchange monies at that time because if it’s insured, everything will go through insurance.”
Reed sums it up by saying, “Move your vehicle if it's safe to do so, to clear the roadway. Call the police, exchange information, call a tow truck.”
It goes without saying that ATR Logistics is the towing company you should call, and there are many reasons for that.
“Emergency services can't wait on scene for over an hour for a tow truck that's out of the city, so it has to be done in a timely manner,” says Franks. “We have trucks that are available in the city for this very reason – standing by for accidents.”
Reed adds, “For an emergency call, you're looking at call time plus generally driving time, we always aim to be on scene within 20 minutes within the immediate Airdrie area..”
“We work with municipal enforcement for the City of Airdrie, the Sheriff's Department, and RCMP, who dictate that we do our best to maintain a safe response time of within 20 minutes, and have the ability to be at two different scenes at the same time,” explains Allegretto. “Beyond that, times can lengthen if there's a lot going on, but it's not typical to see more than two incidents at once.”
“For your average roadside assistance call, a flat tire or something, they're going to look for a general ETA of about 90 minutes, give or take,” notes Reed. “Service levels may be faster, but weather conditions can often influence wait times, so generally about 90 minutes.”
Because accidents don’t keep business hours, ATR Logistics attends calls at all hours of the day, and the impound lot maintains set hours 365 days a year.
“During the week, Monday to Friday, the impound is open 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM,” adds Franks. “On weekends and holidays, it's open for one hour from 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM.”
Allegretto points out that ATR Logistics is COR-certified for safety.
“We have a Certificate of Recognition for safety, which is rare for a tow company – it’s not easy to attain and maintain. We're externally audited for that each year – our impound lot is, too. If your vehicle is towable, we’ll quickly get it to your home or a shop of your choosing – but if it's going to the impound, our lot is properly insured to look after your vehicle. Even when damaged, we know it's important to make sure your vehicle is looked after. We have a manned office, proper security cameras, monitored 24-hour surveillance of the facility, and all our trucks are monitored 24-7 by camera. We also communicate very well with all insurance companies.”
The service and attention you’ll receive from everyone at ATR Logistics is also top-notch.
“We have a very friendly staff who are passionate about helping people,” says Reed.
“We have five core values that we live and breathe, and customer service is the main one,” adds Allegretto. “There's also safety, integrity, fun, and a desire to be the best.”
“Our staff exemplifies all five of those core values,” says Franks. “It's very important to us. As an owner, I've lived in Airdrie for 52 years. We know the city well. Other tow companies will pop up and leave, but we've been here a very long time and we're going to be here for a very long time.”
“We're dedicated to serving our community,” says Reed. “This is home.”
“Airdrie first,” notes Franks. “Everywhere else second.”
If you need a tow, call ATR at 403-912-2911. You can learn more about ATR Logistics at https://www.atrlogistics.ca/.
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