Forget the pink cadillac - Ally Sweeney's pink tow truck is the real headturner across Canberra and the region.
The Kaleen mum is the ACT's only female tow truck owner-operator, the proud woman behind TNA Towing, the business she started four years ago after working in the industry for the last decade.
Her truck is not only pink but it has a car seat in it for three-year-old daughter Blake, who sometimes comes with her on less urgent jobs.
"Kids love it. They're always smiling and waving," she said.
The 39-year-old wouldn't be in any other job.
"I just have a passion for cars. Always have," she said.
"Every day is different in this job. There's a lot of kind of problem-solving, reacting to situations.
"At the crux of it, people are, usually when they're calling a tow truck, in need of help. As mum, as a female, I like to bring that kind of side to it where I understand it's stressful, it's hard, it's overwhelming.
"And I just try to bring that component of compassion and care and empathy, really, to a situation that is not ideal for anyone."
With two children and two stepchildren, Ally found driving tow trucks could give her some flexibility with work and family life.
She says being a female tow truck driver can be "an interesting challenge".
"A lot of the time, I'll walk into a workshop and say, 'Here's the keys to that car or whatever'. And I often get, 'Oh, what did you run into?' because just being a female, they don't associate me with a tow truck, even though I'm wearing my uniform. It's a very big stereotype and one I'm working really, really hard to break down."
Unlike what might be seen on TV or the movies, in Canberra, at least, tow truck drivers are not racing to get to an accident site first, Ally said.
"My biggest piece of advice to people would if you're in an accident or you're in a situation where you need a tow truck, make sure the person picking you up is who you organised through your insurance company or who police have assigned or something like that," she said.
"Sydney has a lot of people who just kind of rock up and take your car and you're not 100 per cent sure what happens to it. Canberra is very different. We all have our own unique contracts, businesses, flows of work."
Her truck is back on the road after being in an accident last October when another driver hit her vehicle head-on in Mitchell. It was a devastating blow for Ally who relies on the truck business to keep the family finances going.
"It had a massive impact for our family," she said.
"But we're getting there, we're clawing our way back."
Always bubbly and positive, Ally is just happy to be trucking along again. She not only attends accidents, but makes deliveries for businesses such as Gerald Slaven Ford in Belconnen and has a diesel delivery side-hustle.
"We've also got something coming to Canberra that Canberra has never seen before - in summer. So keep your eyes peeled," she said.
