Al Quiring: The Man Behind the Tow Truck

 

Al Quiring is one of those local legends whose work speaks for itself. While many people know him from television, those who have met him on the side of the road know him as someone who shows up when help is needed most.

If you've ever driven British Columbia's mountain highways, you know how quickly conditions can change. Snow, ice, rockslides, and accidents can leave motorists stranded in some of the most challenging places imaginable. For decades, Al Quiring has been one of the people answering those calls for help.

Many Canadians were introduced to Al through the hit television series Highway Thru Hell, which follows the demanding and often dangerous work of heavy rescue towing in B.C.'s Interior. Viewers watched as Al and his team took on seemingly impossible recoveries, pulling transport trucks from ditches, rescuing stranded motorists, and reopening vital transportation routes.

But television fame only tells part of the story.

To many people throughout British Columbia, Al is simply a local guy who has spent years helping others when they needed it most. Whether it's a family stranded during a snowstorm, a truck driver stuck on a remote highway, or a motorist facing an unexpected emergency, Al has built a reputation for being there when the situation looks hopeless.

What makes his story resonate with so many people is that it isn't about celebrity. It's about service. Tow truck operators rarely receive recognition for the work they do, yet they are often the first to arrive when someone is scared, stranded, or in danger. Al Quiring helped shine a light on that profession and showed viewers the skill, dedication, and courage required behind the wheel of a recovery truck.

His success on television brought him fame, but his commitment to helping people is what earned him respect.

A journalist visiting Quiring Towing described Al preparing to visit the widow of another heavy-recovery operator — a man who had repeatedly left birthdays, holiday dinners and family gatherings to help Al with difficult jobs. Al said he wished he could somehow give her back all of that lost time with her husband.

And suddenly, Al’s story looks different.

Because towing is a profession built around recovery. Trucks can be recovered. Loads can be recovered. Highways can reopen.

Time cannot.

That may help explain why one of the most revealing Al Quiring moments came decades later with the next generation beside him.

The Quiring business has now reached its fourth generation, and in a 2026 episode Al spoke about trying to pass what he inherited from his late father on to his own son. Watching them work together, he said:

“Working with family, you can’t put a price on that.”

Then came an even simpler line:

“That’s what I live for.”

Years earlier, Highway Thru Hell had already shown three generations — Al, his father Bob and his son Cary — working the same recovery together. Now Bob is gone, and Al is becoming the link between what the Quirings built before him and whatever comes after him.

That may be the most interesting change in Al Quiring.

A younger Al built his reputation by knowing exactly when to take control.

The older Al seems increasingly aware that legacy eventually requires the opposite — knowing when to let the next person take some of it.

And after a lifetime spent recovering enormous machines from impossible places, perhaps Al has learned that the most valuable thing isn’t what you manage to pull back.

It’s recognizing what you still have before time takes it away.

In a world where headlines often focus on negativity, Al Quiring's story is a reminder that everyday heroes are all around us. Sometimes they don't wear capes. Sometimes they drive a tow truck and answer the phone when someone needs a hand.