Towing quote no one argues with

What a towing quotation should show

Drivers who call a tow truck want one number fast, and a written towing quote makes that number stick when the truck arrives. This template splits the hook up fee, distance, winching and after hours surcharges into lines anyone can follow, for roadside tows, accident recovery and workshop transfers. Roadline’s sedan tow is preloaded in the quote maker, so you can swap in your rates and text the PDF.

Towing disputes nearly always come down to an extra nobody mentioned on the phone: a winch fee, storage days, an after hours charge or more miles than expected. A good quote names the vehicle, both locations, the truck and equipment, and every charge that could apply, so driver and owner agree before the straps go on.

1. Vehicle detailsMake, model, weight class, drivetrain and condition: running or not, keys present, wheels that roll and steer. All wheel drive cars usually need a flatbed or dollies.
2. Pickup and drop offExact locations, and whether the pickup is roadside, a driveway, a parking garage with low clearance, or off the pavement entirely.
3. Truck typeFlatbed, wheel lift or heavy duty wrecker. The truck sets both the hook up fee and the distance rate.
4. Hook up feeThe base charge for dispatch, arrival and securing the vehicle. Say whether it includes any free miles or none at all.
5. Distance ratePer mile or per km from pickup to drop off, or from your yard and back. State which, and the route you measured.
6. Winching and recoveryPulling a vehicle out of a ditch, mud, snow or a tight driveway, priced per job or per 15 minutes, with more for a second truck.
7. Surcharges and extrasAfter hours, weekend, dollies, go jacks, waiting time, lockout service and fuel surcharges, each with its trigger.
8. Storage and releaseA daily storage rate if the vehicle goes to your yard, release hours, and the ID and paperwork the owner needs to collect it.

Sample towing quote with example prices

Roadline Towing quotes Samir Haddad to move a non running sedan 45 km to a workshop. The lines are a $95 hook up fee, 45 km at $3.20 per km ($144), a $60 winch out from the driveway and a $50 after hours surcharge. The subtotal is $349. There are no optional lines and no deposit, since this tow is paid on delivery. The rates are examples.

Edit the Roadline Towing quote

4 lines are filled in, from hook up fee to after hours surcharge. Put in your own towing rates, then download the PDF.

Open the towing sample

How to price a tow

Most towing companies price with a hook up fee plus a rate per mile or km, then add charges for winching, special equipment, waiting and after hours calls. Non consent tows, such as removals from private parking, are regulated in many places, so check local rules before quoting those.

1. Hook up plus distanceA fixed hook up fee for the truck type, then a per mile or per km rate. The standard for light vehicle tows and easy for owners to check.
2. Flat rate zonesOne price for any tow inside a set radius, such as 10 miles from your yard. Handy for regular workshop and dealership work.
3. Hourly for recoveryAccident scenes, rollovers and heavy recovery priced by the hour per truck and operator, plus equipment and cleanup. Estimate the hours and confirm the final figure at the end.
4. Per item extrasWinching, dollies, storage per day, lockouts and jump starts as separate lines, so the base tow price stays comparable.

Fuel and truck payments move your cost per mile, so revisit the distance rate every few months. The overhead guide shows how to spread truck and yard costs across billable hours, and the estimate maker gives a low to high range when a recovery is hard to scope by phone.

Worked example: a 28 mile flatbed tow at night

A late night call for an all wheel drive car shows how the extras stack on top of the base tow. All rates are examples.

1. Hook upFlatbed hook up fee: an example $110.
2. DistancePickup to the dealership is 28 loaded miles. At $4.50 per mile, that is $126.
3. EquipmentThe car is all wheel drive with the steering locked, so go jacks are needed to roll it onto the bed: $35.
4. After hoursThe call comes in at 11 pm, adding a $60 surcharge.
5. Total$110 plus $126 plus $35 plus $60 is $331 before tax. If the dealership is closed and the car spends two nights in your yard at $45 a day, add $90 for $421.

Loaded miles versus total miles, the weight class, how hard the vehicle is to reach and any local rate rules for the type of tow all change the price.

Towing inclusions and exclusions

Towing quote mistakes

Most towing complaints are about price surprises, not the tow itself. These slips cause them.

• Quoting a wheel lift tow for an all wheel drive car that needs a flatbed or dollies.
• Not asking whether the car is in a parking garage with low clearance, which rules out a flatbed.
• Leaving the winch fee off the phone quote, then adding it on arrival and losing the owner’s trust.
• Taking no photos of existing damage before loading, so every scratch becomes your problem.
• Forgetting storage terms when the drop off is your yard and the owner does not collect for a week.
• Charging total miles when the owner understood loaded miles only.