Unlicensed tow truck driver and company taken off the road in Caledon: police

Police have impounded the truck of an unlicensed tow truck company pulled over in Caledon amid a crackdown on illegal operators across Ontario.

The OPP said on Tuesday that a tow truck driver pulled over in Caledon was found working without a licence.

Investigators say the tow truck company was also unlicenced, leading to multiple charges.

The tow truck was impounded for a week and police also seized licence plates from the vehicle.

The name of the driver and the company have not been released.

The charges come as police across Ontario are coming down on crime rings and rule breakers violating tow regulations that led to more than 200 charges laid in Mississauga and Brampton last year.

Nearly 80 non-compliant tow trucks operating in both cities were identified while nine trucks were removed from service in 2024.

The OPP said it laid more than 500 tow-related charges and took 41 tow trucks off Ontario roads due to violations last year.

Ontario’s new Towing and Storage Safety Enforcement Act (TSSEA) came into effect last year with a new provincial program for the towing and vehicle storage industry, taking control of oversight and licensing from individual municipalities.

If you need a tow truck while driving on the 401 you can call 511 for a tow truck through the province’s Tow Zone pilot project, or dial *OPP for service elsewhere in Ontario.

Here are some tips to remember if you require a tow truck in Ontario:

• Unless initiated by the police or an “authorized official,” tow companies need consent from the driver to tow your vehicle, the province says.
• A “permission to tow” form must be signed before towing starts, police say.
• Rates for towing and storage services must also be given to you before a tow company provides services, and rates must be posted at their office or place of business, website if available, and at the location where your vehicle is stored.
• You or a person acting on behalf can access the vehicle unless otherwise directed by police after it is towed and stored.
• If you need a tow truck while driving on the 401 you can call 511 for a tow truck through the province’s Tow Zone pilot project, or dial *OPP for service elsewhere in Ontario.
• The province established a towing task force in 2020 to increase safety and enforcement while improving industry standards in response to “concerns about violence and criminal activity in the industry.”