Driver in deep-freeze distress? Tow truck to the rescue

A tow truck? No, you haven't been driving a tow truck in the past week.

You've been riding a white horse charging to the rescue of motorists whose cars, vans and trucks have fallen victim to bone-numbing temperatures and slippery streets.

Without you, people from all walks of life would have been stranded in their driveways, parking lots or along a salt coated road.

But they weren't. They were rescued. You did it.

You breathed life into their dead batteries, or changed flat tires.

So many were happy to see your truck driving to their aid. And the ones who didn't show it because they had to wait an icy eternity for you to arrive -- they still appreciated you.

They may have grumbled when you handed them the $45-$65 bill, but if it wasn't for you, they'd still be stranded.

Then, they didn't realize they were not the only person having car trouble. From Friday to Monday, many towing companies worked non-stop answering calls and saving motorists.

Randy Schock, the owner of Schock's Towing in East Dundee, has had all five of his trucks working. Pete Bernaeyge, the owner of Pete's-A -Towing in Elgin, has had all of his 12 trucks running.

"We've seen a lot of dead batteries and a lot of flat tires," Bernaeyge said. "We tried to get to people within an hour. People stuck in traffic took priority over the other calls. Those were the people who were stuck in the cold."

If cars just needed a battery jump, motorists were on their way within 15 minutes. If something else was wrong, the car was put on the hook and taken to the nearest service station. Then, it was the mechanic's problem.

And Jack Kellenberger, one of the owners of Kellenberger's Auto Service in Elgin, has seen his share of problems this week.

"One guy came in with two flat tires on the right side of his car. He must have driven it for a while because now he needs two new rims," he said. "When the temperature drops, tires lose pressure. They said that a tire will lose one pound of pressure for every 10-degree drop in temperature.

"If the tire is already low, then it could be significant."

But who wants to take off their gloves and check their tires when the temperature is 5 degrees below zero?

Then there was the customer who brought his car to Kellenberger's after his lock froze.

"A couple of hours in the sun would have thawed it out," he said.

And if there is no sun shining, thaw it with a hairdryer.

A secret to keeping a car running in the extreme cold? Just don't turn it off.

"We've had our trucks running non-stop," Bernaeyge said. "People usually get in trouble when they turn off their cars."