Heavy truck broken down on the highway: what to do
The rules depend on where the truck stops. On much of the Montréal-area highway network, only one contracted provider may work, and you must call 9-1-1.
Send my location1. Safety first
- Turn on the hazard lights.
- If the truck still moves, take the next exit, an emergency parking area or the shoulder.
- On the exclusive towing network, if the vehicle can no longer move, the Québec government asks you to stay on board until help arrives.
- If there is danger, an injury or the truck is stopped in a live lane: 9-1-1.
2. Warning devices
A vehicle wider than 2 m stopped on the roadway or shoulder must turn on its hazard lights and set out reflectors, flares or lamps (section 125 of the vehicle safety standards regulation).
| Type of road | Where to place the devices |
|---|---|
| Two-way road | About 3 m behind, in line with the vehicle’s left side; about 30 m behind; about 30 m in front |
| Freeway, one-way road or road where vehicles cannot pass each other | About 3 m, 30 m and 60 m behind the vehicle, in line |
Flares must not be used on a vehicle carrying flammable or explosive materials.
3. The Montréal-area exclusive towing network
Québec regulation M-28, r. 4 on towing and road service on certain roads, highways, bridges and other infrastructure prohibits anyone without a contract with the Minister of Transport from towing or providing road service on the segments it lists, including their ramps and interchanges. The network covers the expressways of Montréal island, Laval island and part of the North and South Shores, and the provincial bridges of the region. It includes segments of highways 10, 13, 15, 19, 20, 25, 30, 40, 440, 520, 530, 640 and 720, the Louis-Hippolyte-La Fontaine bridge-tunnel, the Ville-Marie tunnel, the Honoré-Mercier bridge and a segment of boulevard Pie-IX (route 125). The exact limits are in the regulation.
Since June 1, 2026, you must call 9-1-1 after a breakdown or collision on this network (Québec.ca, exclusive towing).
That is why our unit does not work on these segments. Once the truck is off the network, in a yard, a parking lot or on a local street, we can take over for the tire, air, battery, lights or fuel.
4. Anywhere else: call dispatch
On a local road, in an industrial park, a carrier’s yard, a parking lot or a terminal off the exclusive network, call us at 438-817-4112 or send your location with the request form. Give the location as precisely as you can: exit number and direction, intersection, company name and gate.
5. The safety corridor
Section 406.1 of the Highway Safety Code requires drivers to slow down and, when possible, change lanes when approaching a stopped emergency vehicle or tow truck with its flashing or rotating lights on, or any vehicle showing a lit yellow arrow. The fine is $200 to $300 and 4 demerit points (Québec.ca, safety corridor).
Useful numbers
| 9-1-1 | Emergencies, and any breakdown or collision on the exclusive towing network |
|---|---|
| 511 | Québec 511: road conditions, roadwork and winter driving conditions. Not an emergency line. Outside Québec: 1-888-355-0511 |
| 438-817-4112 | Our dispatch, 24/7, off the exclusive network |
General summary current as of November 7, 2026. See the official texts linked on this page; if in doubt on the exclusive network, 9-1-1 will direct you.
Off the exclusive network? Call us.
Yard, parking lot, local street or terminal: dispatch answers 24/7.