What is Mater’s occupation in Pixar’s Cars?

Mater’s occupation in Pixar’s Cars is tow truck.

Tow Mater is the rusty, friendly vehicle who operates Tow Mater Towing and Salvage in Radiator Springs. He meets Lightning McQueen after McQueen accidentally damages the town’s main road and is ordered to repair it. Mater’s towing job is central to the story because it brings the two characters together.

Mater’s appearance reflects his work: he has a tow cable, a rear towing assembly, and a weathered body. His name is a shortened form of “tomato,” a nickname connected to his rusty, reddish appearance. In the original film, his simple outlook and loyalty contrast with McQueen’s ambition and celebrity.

Mater later becomes a supporting character across the Cars franchise. Cars 2 gives him a larger role in an international spy adventure, while the animated series Mater’s Tall Tales exaggerates stories about his supposed past. Those stories are comic inventions, not a change to his established occupation.