Towing companies prep for ice storm

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WTVQ) – With the ice storm closing in, towing companies are gearing up for a busy couple of days. Winter weather and icy roads create a lot of work for towing companies like Roberts Towing.

Tow truck driver Michael Blackburn says on days with bad weather, it’s all hands on deck and shifts can go from 6 A.M. until 2 in the morning.

“With rush hour, it could be a couple hundred calls easily. Now if it’s like middle of the night, it could be you know 50-60 calls,” says Blackburn. “It’s all according to where it’s at and time of day.”

Driving the trucks on slick roads is no easy feat and Blackburn says some of the tow trucks have even slid into ditches and needed to be pulled out.

“You know, you’re kind of fighting the weather,” says Blackburn. “Not only is the road frozen but our equipment freezes up as well such as our controls and stuff like that so with the roads being frozen and us trying to pull wench cables, it makes it a little bit more hazardous for us.”

Blackburn says the most common calls the company gets during these storms are people getting stuck in the snow or wrecking by following too closely to the person in front of them.

“It’s very dangerous, it’s a very dangerous job,” says Blackburn. “We’re kind of just looked over mainly because no one really pays attention, there’s so many distracted drivers out on these roads. They’re too worried about their phones.”

Above all, Blackburn says if you have to be out when roads get dicey, to stay aware and slow down.

“If you have to be out, if you do need groceries, get them now before the roads do get treacherous so you don’t have to be out [Thursday] or Friday.”