Most times when people contact Lloyd Yung, who owns Crash’s Auto in Coronach, they are looking to get pulled out of the ditch or they need his assistance to get into a locked vehicle. In a nice change of pace for Yung, on September 22, he opened a letter from Canadian Automobile Association (CAA) informing him that he had been chosen for a CAA Saskatchewan Emergency Road Service Award of Excellence.
The letter explained to Yung that he was receiving this annual award “in recognition of outstanding service provided to CAA Saskatchewan members.”
Yung was very happy to be honoured for his service to CAA customers. “Well to me, the award really makes up for the times you don’t feel appreciated for being out in a blizzard or a 4 in the morning lock-out.” said Yung.
Yung, who has been working in the auto industry since 1977, was first introduced to the tow-truck world by George Curran, of Curran Enterprises. Yung worked for Curran for most of the 1980s.
Yung moved to Alberta where he worked in a General Motors dealership from 1988 to 1993.
Yung, along with his three children Vanessa, Craig and Harley, moved back to Coronach in 1993. It was then, that he opened the doors of Crash’s Auto, an auto repair shop.
In 1997, Yung built his own tow truck to supplement his business.
In November of 2006, Yung purchased the tow trucks from Curran’s Enterprises and his towing business has boomed.
Yung reported that the towing business has grown steadily over the years, to the point where it is almost full time. The addition of a large flat deck on his truck has allowed him to do more hauling, in addition to towing.
After nearly 25 years with his head under the hood of a car, Yung is enjoying the time away from the shop. “After all these years of fixing cars, it is so nice to be outside.” said Yung.
He also talked about how he enjoys the challenges involved in towing, although he did add with a chuckle that he could do without the middle of the night calls. Yung took a Wreckmaster Recovery Course in May of 2010, that focused on the safety of the public and himself. He learned recovery techniques for accidents involving all types of vehicles, including 18 wheelers, school and city busses. He currently holds the title of Wreckmaster Level 4-5 Recovery Specialist.
Each year the Emergency Road Service Award of Excellence is awarded to only to a handful of the close to 200 CAA contractors in the province.
“On behalf of CAA Saskatchewan, I congratulate this year’s recipients of the CAA Award of Excellence and thank them for the outstanding service they provide,” said Kevin Lane, CAA Saskatchewan’s Vice President of Automotive Services. “As a partner of CAA, each recipient provides an essential service and a vital link to our
Members. This award not only shows our appreciation for these partnerships, but also recognizes the great value they provide to CAA Members.”
According to CAA, roadside assistance is an integral part of the membership benefits and services provided to CAA Members. All roadside assistance calls in the province are processed through a central dispatch system in Regina and sent to the contractor nearest the location of the vehicle breakdown.
Yung attended an award banquet in Regina on October 14, along with nine other recipients, including Rick’s Locksmith of Assiniboia, who won an award for the best locksmith.
“The event was very nice. Short and sweet!” said Yung. He enjoyed the gourmet buffet and the chance to visit with many of the people he deals with through CAA.
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