Are All Towing Companies the Same?

Few things can derail a road trip faster than needing a quick, reliable towing company and not being able to find one. When your vehicle decides to stall or, worse yet, you’ve been involved in an auto accident, finding a towing company you can count on is critical. So, short of calling every service station in the phone book, how do you narrow down a decent towing company from the competition?
 
First up- how quickly can they get to your vehicle? It makes little difference if a towing company has a good reputation for price and equipment if they are so backed up with calls that you will be stuck on the freeway (or in your driveway) for four hours. When you need a tow, you generally need it quickly. Whether you are stuck out in the middle of the highway or at home trying to get to work on time, you need a towing company that has a large enough fleet of trucks that they can get to you in a reasonable amount of time.
 
Next on most lists comes cost. The bottom line is, when you need a tow, you need a tow. Unfortunately, this often means a towing company has the ability to charge an inflated price. While it’s reasonable to assume you’ll pay a pretty penny for a quick, reliable towing company, it is not reasonable for a company to price gouge. Make several calls to make sure the price you are charged is comparable with the going rate. Depending on your circumstances, you may be able to trade a little time for a lot of cash.
 
The equipment a towing company uses matters. You want to know your vehicle won’t be damaged during the tow, so you want a towing company that has trained professionals driving  quality equipment. The equipment should not be outdated and it should be maintained to perfection. After all, it’s YOUR vehicle that is being towed. Many people prefer to use only towing companies that use a flat-bed for towing, especially for any type of long distance towing services.
 
Finally, a quality towing company employs polite, respectful drivers and dispatchers. No matter how busy they may be, it’s the customer that pays the rent and you deserve to be treated respectfully. Good customer service goes a long way in any business and the towing business is no exception to the rule.
 
Take a few minutes to do a bit of research on the towing companies in your local area. While this obviously can’t help you when you break down out of town, it will save you time, money and some stress the next time you need your vehicle towed close to home.