Almost every driver, at some point in their driving career, will require the help of a wrecker service. As you will quickly discover when that time comes, you will be very happy to see the tow truck when it arrives at the site of your vehicular misfortune. Hopefully, the extent of your need for a wrecker will only include a flat tire or a dead battery, both of which are minor nuisances when compared to an automobile accident. If you are ever in need of a towing wrecker service, will you know who to call? There are some things of which you may need to be aware before the need actually arises for a wrecker service.
Once you decide to become educated about wrecker services, where do you begin? You might start by asking around, doing internet searches, or actually contacting various wrecker services and asking pertinent questions. If you can’t find friends who have had enough experience to know whom to call, ask at your local auto parts store. It is likely that they can recommend someone whom you could feel comfortable calling in the middle of the night, if necessary. If car trouble catches you unaware, you will be glad to get almost anyone to come, and pay any rate. However, you will certainly feel more confident if you have some knowledge of the statewide wrecker service beforehand.
The rates which wrecker operators can charge to pull your vehicle may vary from state to state. Most states have rules pertaining to the amounts that towing companies are allowed to charge. These may run anywhere from around $60.00 for a car or small truck, to $275.00 for a large vehicle such as an eighteen wheeler or bus. A quick internet search will yield a wrecker rate chart for those states which have regulations concerning them. Most reputable wrecker services will adhere closely to these rates. This is good information to have in order to prevent someone from taking advantage of you in your time of misfortune. It is a very good idea to ask for a receipt from the wrecker driver, so that you will have documentation if you later feel that you were overcharged.
Some companies may charge by the mile, as opposed to a set rate. This fee would be calculated with the mileage beginning at the driver’s base of operation. This mileage cost would serve as the wrecker fee, not in addition to the fee.
If your car has to be towed from an inconvenient place, or pulled from a ditch, you many incur a higher cost that if your car were simply stalled by the side of the road, or in a parking lot. If a winch has to be used, there could be a charge for that, also.
For those situations that may call for an extra person to assist the driver, there will be a extra charge up to a certain rate per hour for that person, in addition to the regular rates. Those charges are regulated in most states, also.
If you should happen to need a wrecker at night after the company’s normal business hours, on a weekend or a holiday, you can expect that an additional fee will be imposed. After hours time is judged by the time the call comes in to the 24 hour wrecker service. If you call before the business closes for the day, you are in compliance even if it is after hours when the wrecker arrives.
Most wrecker services have accommodations for storage, when there is no place else to which they can tow the vehicle. The charge for storing your vehicle can range from $15.00 to $50.00 per day for outside storage, and from $25.00 to $100.00 per day for inside storage. Wrecker operators are required to keep stringent records including the date and time the vehicle was towed, how many days it was stored, when and by whom it was picked up. If you must retrieve your vehicle after normal business hours, the company is allowed to charge extra for that time.
These are a few pieces of helpful information which could aid in preventing you from getting an unpleasant surprise when the wrecker driver gives you his bill.
- How Much Does It Cost to Tow a Car?
- How Much is Car Tax?
- How Much to Ship a Car?
- How Much does Insurance go up After Accident?
- Avoid DMV Headaches
