Quick answer: Tow truck driver stereotypes say drivers are old, grumpy, and smelly. In this story, Tuber Taylor answered one stranger’s insult by buying her a coffee, and the two of them talked for an hour.
With years of experience in the towing industry, @TuberTaylor has encountered a variety of unique and challenging situations on the job. Running towing and recovery calls across Edmonton and the surrounding region means meeting people on some of the worst days they have had, and how a driver handles that matters as much as how they handle the truck. Our roadside assistance services bring operators to stranded drivers around the clock. Check out this story he recently posted.
Tow Truck Drivers
I legitimately got told “Tow Truck Drivers Are Just Old Grumpy Smelly Men” 🤯 Normally when I get spotted in public, it’s a positive occurrence. 👀 Not TodayToday, I was spotted and was told I was doing a disservice to the disgruntled workforce of tow truck low life human beings🤷🏽♂️ With an angry frail old finger in my face, I was told I gave the Towing industry a fake outlook and was going to desensitize the world into thinking towing is full of smiley characters full of positivity and butterflies. After a barrage of disgruntled comments, I asked her if I could make her smile to which she said my husbands dead sonny. No-one can make me smile anymore. I nodded and moved forward into the line at the cafe ☕️ I bought her a coffee and walked it over to the corner where she sat by her lonesome. I motioned for her to lift her head, and look my way inviting me to join her. I said, from me to you, I believe this is yours. You deserve it. It’s sunny, it’s warm and I think someone is looking down on you today. She grumbled while looking deep into my soul and gently took the plate holding steaming coffee from my hands. I took a seat and placed a muffin and some napkins on the plate beside her coffee.She didn’t smile at all, but instead insisted in frowning looking into her lap deep in thought while beginning to tear up. The next 3 minutes were dead silence. I was there for it. It felt needed and safe but scared and worried all at the same time. As She broke the silence with a thank you son while wiping her tears. We spent the next 60 minutes talking, listening to her life as a trauma nurse and unpacking all the stories she had kept pent up to herself over the last 13 years of life alone without the love of her life. Scatterbrained the stories were all over the place. Struggling to keep up, she mentioned she was saddened to see all the retired folk march into the coffee shop each day, and no one come to sit with her. But she didn’t know how to change that, and instead frowned out of sad and loneliness. We talked deeply about her life, about her head and about her days. She seemed to feel at peace.This is when my heart skipped a beat 💜 Not even 5 minutes later, J&S, my new retired YouTube followers from last week, waltzed in. J&S came over and sat down and talked about their past week and some of the videos I had made. J&S have a story of their own, when his hearing air went rogue and paired up to my MacBook while editing a video. He LOVED TuberTaylor. Our new found nurse was THRILLED to hear about these stories J&S shared about TuberTaylor. I motioned to have two more cups of coffee brought over and we sat and drank some warm bean water.There were smiles today. Lots and LOTS of smiles. Enough smiles to take all of my days stress away. Enough smiles that the other groups wanted to introduce themselves to our new found table of smiles. Make your smile be the reason for other smiles. 💕Love You TuberFam 🥰
“Peace begins with a smile.” Mother Teresa.
By sharing this experience, @TuberTaylor shows that kindness and patience matter as much on the job as technical skill, and in everyday life. Tuber Towing is proud to have dedicated professionals like him on the team.
The stereotype is worth pushing back on, because the day-to-day reality of the job looks nothing like it. Our operators run everything from light duty work through to heavy duty towing and full recovery services, 24 hours a day and in every kind of Alberta weather. That takes training, judgement, and a fair amount of patience with people who are having a rough day.
You can read more about the crew behind the trucks or see how we support operator wellbeing through the Buddy Up program. If this sounds like work you would want to do, we post current openings here.
Tow Truck Driver Stereotypes: Frequently Asked Questions
What is the stereotype about tow truck drivers in this story?
The stereotype is that tow truck drivers are old, grumpy, and smelly. Tuber Taylor heard it from a stranger in a cafe, and he answered it with kindness instead of an argument.
How did Tuber Taylor respond to the stereotype?
He bought the woman a coffee and sat down with her. They talked for about an hour, and she shared stories from her years as a trauma nurse.
What does a tow truck operator's job actually involve?
Tuber Towing operators handle everything from light duty towing through to heavy duty towing and full recovery services, 24 hours a day and in every kind of Alberta weather. The work takes training, judgement, and patience with people who are having a rough day.
How does Tuber Towing support its operators' wellbeing?
Tuber Towing supports operator wellbeing through the Buddy Up program. You can read more about it in our post on mental health in the towing industry.