Bob Haseltine: The Man, and the Dog, Behind the Truck

By Wylie Saviello

For anybody driving on the beach, getting stuck in the sand is a fear that stays in the back of their minds. The 12 miles of soft Saint John’s County sand that allow for vehicular access regularly catch people off guard while they are trying to enjoy a beach day. 

That’s where Bob Haseltine comes in, driving his tow truck up and down the beach to rescue desperate cars lying low in the sand. But Haseltine doesn’t work alone. His 5-year-old Boston Terrier Harvey rides with him in his work truck, serving as a loyal companion and nice surprise to customers. 

“I just want to help them. You know, when you get stuck, I want to be there to help you,” Haseltine said. “And [Harvey’s] a great little guy… he goes with me everywhere and he’s so fun to be with.”

Harvey and Haseltine are a well-known duo by locals, but those who haven’t seen them before enjoy the fun surprise of a dog in polarized goggles accompanying his owner to work at the beach. 

“We get near the beach, and he wants his sunglasses on, so he looks around for them. I put his glasses on because he knows everybody gets a kick out of it,” Haseltine said. “And I do like making smiles.” 

Haseltine is the owner of A1A Beach Towing here in St. Augustine. He’s seen just about everything—towing a plethora of tourists, college students, lifeguard trucks, sheriff’s vehicles and even other tow trucks. 

“I’ve towed out three tow trucks this year, regular tow trucks,” Haseltine said. 

Getting your car stuck is a challenging experience, and tow truck drivers often get a bad reputation, but everyone loves Haseltine. His approach to his job is generous and kind, focused on what he can do to help others on a bad day. 

“It’s stressful for a lot of people. I’ve had people cry,” said Haseltine. “The thing is, I just really care about people, and if they can’t afford it, I’m not going to put the pressure on them that they have to pay. I’ll figure out how to get them out and they can pay what they can pay.”  

Haseltine has been the owner of A1A Beach Towing for almost a year. He used to do landscape work but had to stop because of the work’s physical toll. Haseltine worked for Paul, the previous owner, for two years before becoming the owner of A1A Beach Towing himself. 

“I was driving on the beach, and I saw Paul out there teaching this other guy how to tow and stuff. I grew up pulling people out with my Jeep, so I went up to him and said, ‘I didn’t know you were hiring for this,’” Haseltine said. 

Haseltine explained that his generosity is his downfall in business. He often can’t help but to give discounts to college students or customers struggling to afford an expensive tow. 

“If they’re Flagler students, I love to help them and get them out. If I’m really busy, they just sit and wait for me a little bit and I’ll come back and get them,” Haseltine said. “I’m too soft, and now I’m bringing it into the towing business… I gotta watch it.” 

Known for his kindness, Haseltine retains a very positive reputation with locals and just about anyone he meets.

“Bob is truly one of the most helpful, kind and giving business owners we have met and worked with,” said Kate Oliver, Chief Operating Officer of Endless Attention Marketing Company. “He is so easy to have as a client, and I know from others he is a joy to work with when he is towing people who are stuck.” 

A key part of the job, Harvey isn’t just a fun sidekick; he plays an important role in Haseltine’s work. Wearing his favorite glasses, the dog happily greets customers and passersby alike through the truck window. 

“When people are stuck, they’re stressed. And so, the first thing I do is pull up and let Harvey stick his head out the window with his glasses on, and it calms them down,” Haseltine said. “He helps out a lot… he even has his own bank account.”

Haseltine was born in South Carolina but moved to Florida when he was 8 years old and grew up in St. Augustine. He spent much of his time surfing, often at Blowholes, a legendary surf spot in Anastasia Park that stopped breaking after a beach renourishment project in the 1970’s. 

“I grew up surfing. That’s all I did, surf,” Haseltine said. “I have a picture that was at Beachcomber for 25 years, going into a tube and coming out of it, and that’s when we didn’t have leashes.” 

“My dad found a surfboard on the side of the road and brought it home,” Haseltine said. “He said it was the worst thing he ever did, but to me, it was the best, because it kept me out of drugs, kept me healthy, you know, I always ate good because I wanted to surf good the next day.” 

When Haseltine was growing up, surf culture was different than it is today. Surfers were stereotypically bums, but not Haseltine. He was one of the first employees at Sonny’s BBQ when the restaurant opened. 

“I always worked,” Haseltine said. “[Sonny’s] let me work around my surf, it was so cool. They even bought me a Jeep so I could go down to the beach… I had it made.” 

His work ethic hasn’t changed, and A1A Beach Towing is the go-to tow business for many people, especially college students, because they know they’ll be greeted with a smile from both Harvey and Haseltine. 

“I’m a very emotional guy,” Haseltine said. “I want people to get stuck, but like I said, I got too much of a heart… I really just want to help them.”