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You never think that you’d need a tow truck service but after having your car break down on you, it becomes inevitable that you have to call tow truck companies to help you out. Getting stuck on the side of the road especially when it’s getting dark can be scary and also dangerous. It’s always better to be equipped with the knowledge of choosing a tow truck near me for cheap, the price of a tow truck, and what is the best-used truck for towing.

Before we show you how to find a tow truck near me for cheap, it’s important to look at the factors that will help you choose the best company for towing near me.

Factors To Consider When Choosing The Best Tow Truck Companies

Many people hurry to search “cheap tow truck near me” or “tow truck near me for cheap” without even doing any prior research. Although price is a huge factor in determining which service to go for, it is not the only important factor.

Here we will look at some of the factors to look at before choosing the best tow truck near me for cheap.

List Of Services

Just like how businesses have a list of services, the same goes for tow truck companies. Looking out for a tow truck near me for cheap might be appealing but if they are not providing the right quality service, it is better to stay away. Some tow truck companies offer car removal service while others even provide roadside assistance. There are many services a tow truck business might offer from changing a flat tire to filling up gas tanks, helping in lockout situations, and more. Take some time to research which company offers the service that you might need.

Reviews Matter

Reviews have become essential to choosing a business. Reading what another person has to say about a company or a service being provided saves you the effort of giving a company a shot. If a company has bad reviews, you simply avoid it rather than approaching it because you know from the reviews that the service or product is not up to par. The same applies to tow truck companies. Simply check the online reviews of companies offering a tow truck near me for cheap and start to shortlist which company you might like to subscribe to.

Yes, there is a case where companies do inflate the reviews on their page or Google by having several accounts posting positive reviews. However, doing quick due diligence would let you know that the reviews are planted. So yes, as much as we’d like to say go with the highest reviewed company, make sure you check the reviews first.

Service Areas

These are important to look out for because if you’re mostly traveling say within Texas, then there is no point getting information on a tow truck near me for cheap in another state. You need to research tow truck companies that are within your state or offer services on routes that you mainly use. Not all tow truck companies offer services on all roads and routes. They look at their efficiency and determine which routes would be feasible for them. This is what you also need to do when looking for a tow truck near me for cheap.

Price

Many tow truck companies know that when a customer is stuck, they will pay top dollar to help. Call it an exploitive business model or bad business practices but that’s the way things are because, at the end of the day, these companies need to make money to be profitable. If you’re reading this then you’re probably not stuck on the side of the road, hence check for companies that offer a good competitive rate. This will help you in times when you’re stuck and looking for a tow truck near me for cheap.

Providing Emergency Services

When you’re stuck at the side of the road, you need a company that offers emergency services. This is because getting stuck can be dangerous and waiting for hours for a tow truck eliminates the purpose of getting a tow truck. Hence alongside finding a tow truck near me for cheap, look out for tow truck companies that offer emergency services.

How To Identify A Legit Tow Truck Near Me For Cheap

Now that we’ve discussed what factors to consider when shortlisting tow truck companies, it is important to know how to identify a legit tow truck near me for cheap. You might end up shortlisting a lot of companies but not all companies will provide you with the service you’re looking for because some aren’t even legal businesses with fabricated reviews. This isn’t the first time you might’ve heard of a business that is more of a sham. Even if they’re not fraudulent, they might not be legally registered and you don’t want to go down that rabbit hole in case things don’t go as planned.

The first thing that a person does is to open the website of a tow trucking company. But what does that tell us? What are you looking for? A website can also be fabricated just like the reviews. You’ve heard how scammers make the perfect website with payment options too. So, the first thing when you’re on the website is to do your due diligence. Look out for things that might seem odd.

A good and reputed tow truck company would post pictures of tow trucks with their business logo on it on the website. Many companies would simply copy pictures from the internet showing the latest tow trucks but when you call them, a shady old half-baked tow truck arrives. Avoid such situations by shortlisting companies that are developing their brand and tow trucks with company logos is the best way to do that.

Methods of payment are also an important factor in understanding whether a tow truck company is legit. If the website states advance payments into a bank account or are only using virtual payment systems like PayPal. That being said, you also need to look out for companies that do not offer the payment service you’re looking for. If you would like to pay by cash but the company is only making payments on a credit card, simply skip them. There are a lot of options to choose from so don’t worry about being picky. Remember, getting stuck on the roadside can be dangerous and it’s better to shortlist a company that fulfills all your requirements.

The best way to check whether a tow truck company is legit or not is to see if they have any affiliations. Many large and good tow truck companies have some sort of affiliations with Auto Clubs or any business operating in the Automotive industry. For Example, in Alberta, many tow truck companies are vetted or certified by the Alberta Motor Association or AMA for short. You can also check the licenses and their expiry by going over to the license lookup site. It will let you know if the tow truck company has a license or if the license has expired. This is one of the best ways to finding a legit tow truck near me for cheap.

Tow Truck Near Me For Cheap: Licensed Vs Unlicensed Towing Companies

If you’re looking for a tow truck near me for cheap then you should know that there are two types of towing companies, licensed and unlicensed.

This is important to note because when people are stuck in a trouble, they will start calling any tow truck company that picks up their call without doing a search on whether or not the company is licensed. Panic ensues and people start to search for “tow truck near me now” on Google and call the first number they see.

This is why we have prepared this guide so that you are aware of what to look for and shortlist a towing company by saving their number on your phone in advance. If an incident happens then you can rest assured knowing that a tow truck company that you can trust has got your back.

You might be enticed to have a cheaper towing company take care of your towing needs but note that a cheaper company will run the risk of being unlicensed. When getting services from an unlicensed company, you should know that their drivers and staff also do not have the right licenses to help you out.

These companies are also considered to be fraudulent as they will tell you one price but when it comes to payments, they will give you another price. This can be frustrating as there is no guarantee of what these types of companies might charge. You’re already stuck in a situation and the last thing you want is another unpredictable situation where you may not have enough cash in your wallet.

Hiring unlicensed towing companies also poses a risk to your vehicle as the drivers are not qualified enough to tow your vehicle safely. There are protocols that one must follow to tow a vehicle but these companies do not follow these steps which can negatively affect your vehicle. It’s not only the vehicle that is in danger during the tow but people and other vehicles around it.

You should also understand that an insurance company will not reimburse you for the damage caused by an unlicensed towing company. Tow requires heavy tools and equipment and if not done properly, it will damage your vehicle and you will have to shoulder the costs. On top of that, the equipment they use might not even be maintained properly.

Licensed companies should be your go-to option when searching for a cheap tow truck near me or a truck towing near me. These companies provide the right kind of training to their staff and drivers to deal with any types of towing-related problems. They are experts in towing your vehicle ensuring no damage is caused to your vehicle or those around.

These companies are quick to respond, have great customer service, and are available 24 hours round the clock. So, if you’re looking for a 24-hour tow truck near me, a licensed towing company is the only option for you. These companies also ensure a rate guarantee and will let you know the rate prior to sending a driver over so that you’re prepared to pay that amount. These rates will not fluctuate upon arrival and do not have any hidden fees attached to them.

The Average Price Of Towing

Now that you know how to identify and shortlist the best tow truck for your towing needs, let’s look at what a tow truck near me for cheap really costs. We can not tell you how much does a tow truck costs (as that is for another guide) but can help you with the costs of services provided by tow trucking companies.

Many insurance companies provide roadside tow assistance but if your insurance company does not, finding out the prices of tow trucks in advance is a great way to ensure the company does not rip you off. The pricing is always per mile and you can expect to pay somewhere around $2.5 to $7.5 depending on the company or service provided. If you have a larger than average vehicle, expect to pay a lot more as a larger tow truck would be required to tow it.

Expect to pay anywhere between $30 to $100 for 7 miles and up to $250 for forty miles. The amount can even go up to $600 for 100 miles. These prices do vary because of certain factors.

Factors Affecting The Price Of A Tow

Although the cost of towing might seem pretty standard when you’re doing your research, it does depend on different factors.

Towing fees can start anywhere around $50 and depend on the type of tow and the mileage, the cost can go up to $100 or even more. Regardless of the distance, expect to pay the minimum fee of $50 which remains a standard practice among many towing companies in the United States.

If you’ve had an accident then you need to understand that you require a flatbed tow rather than the standard pull tow. A flatbed tow is a large vehicle and the cost of a flatbed tow is more than a standard pull tow.