Q&A
Two-Wheel Tows
CAA tow truck driver Mike Rost on hauling motorcycles
BY PAUL GALLANT
MIKE ROST COULDN’T imagine
working indoors. “I’d be stircrazy before noon,” says the
10-year CAA veteran, who
works as a tow truck driver
in Brandon. In his youth,
Rost’s ride of choice was a
freestyle BMX bike. He later
graduated to a 1985 Fox
Body Mustang. Though not
a biker himself, he appreciates what motorcycle owners
need when they call CAA.
Describe a day in the life
of a tow truck driver.
You wake up and get yourself mentally prepared for
the day ahead—because
you just never know what
it’s going to bring. You
could end up towing out
to Ontario on a moment’s
notice. I’ve had calls for
long-haul tows five minutes
before I’m done my shift.
I instantly want to go get
it done—I just love it!
When do you start seeing
motorcycles on the road?
As temperatures start to hit
10 degrees or so—even if
there’s snow in the ditch—
as long as the road is dry.
How does CAA tow
motorcycles today?
Members may recall in
MIKE PETERS
Happier
Hauling
Motorcycles, more than
any other vehicles on the
road, are not designed to
be towed, so extra care is
Driver Mike
Rost with CAA’s
motorcycle trailer
the past we would tow
bikes on a five-ton deck
truck, pulling them on the
bed in a specialized bike
carrier. But now we have
an enclosed trailer built
specifically for bikes. There’s
no better way to transport
your bike—other than
riding it, of course. But if
you’re stranded and must
transport it, enclosed is
the way to go.
required. While tie-downs
on flatbed trailers and
other methods are options,
CAA started dispatching
a motorcycle trailer three
years ago. Available
year-round in Winnipeg
How do bikers differ
from car drivers?
Eighty percent of the population treats their automobiles like the microwave.
You pop the door, jump in
and you go off. But motorcycle enthusiasts don’t treat
their motorcycles as appliances: They see them as an
opportunity for freedom, to
get out there and de-stress.
They are very passionate.
and Brandon, the trailer
protects bikes from the
elements, while preventing
them from breaking
loose onto the road and
harming third parties. The
motorcycle trailer service
Do you have a rescue
that stands out?
Last year, I got a call for a
haul on a motorcycle from
Rivers to Morden, Man.
It was a Harley Davidson
Electra Glide worth more
than $70,000. I spoke to
the owner for a half hour
while loading his bike—
explaining what I was
doing, showing him that
I respected his bike. I
stopped a few times during
the 2.5-hour drive to see if
the bike had shifted in the
trailer. I passed through a
few torrential downpours
and some rough construction zones—the Harley
would’ve been completely
soaked and muddy on
a flatbed. But when I got
to Morden, the bike was
sitting there perfectly dry,
scratch-free and still clean
as a whistle.
Got any tips for
motorcycle owners?
Make sure to have your
bike tuned up every spring,
before the riding season
starts. And check that the
battery is in good shape.
If the bike sleeps in cold
storage over winter, it’s safe
to remove the battery to
extend its life.
is included with CAA Plus
and Premier memberships.
Are you a Classic member
with a motorcycle? Call
204-262-6166 or 1-800222-4357 to upgrade
CAA MANITOBA
SUMMER 2016
13