If you find yourself involved in a motor vehicle accident or stranded beside a deserted highway, you will need to contact a tow truck near you. Of course, at this desperate moment in your life, you are probably not going to be thinking on the lines of costs. Instead, your mind will be caught up in the heat of the moment and getting your family to safety. If you do not have a valid full coverage insurance policy, then you will need to pay out of pocket for these services. Below, you will discover a comprehensive overview of towing service prices.
Towing service costs will vary from one provider to another. Unlike most public services, which allot you enough time to find a reputable service provider, when you find yourself in need of a towing service, you will not have this privilege. This means that you will need to rely on the first company that is available to tow your vehicle out of the line of fire. In many cases, the law enforcement officer will make this decision for you, because they need to keep the ball rolling and remove the car from the congested intersection.
If you are miles away from a safe destination, you should expect to pay higher fees. The same goes for large RVs, SUVs, and motors, since these will require an extremely large tow truck or rollback. If the vehicle needs to be winched out of a ditch or culvert, the costs will be increased accordingly.
In order to avoid these costs and prepare for the inevitable, many drivers will opt to invest in a roadside service policy, if you are involved in an accident or if your vehicle breaks down in the middle of nowhere, you will simply contact the insurance provider and schedule a pickup. You will not need to pay out of pocket for these services, just provide the tow truck driver with a copy of your membership card or number.
A yearly subscription for roadside assistance service protection will cost you anywhere from $99-150, but if you do a lot of traveling, you should not leave home without. After the use, the membership will pay for itself.
Not every towing need will be an emergency situation, which will leave you little time to consider your alternatives. It is not unusual for an individual to wake up one morning to discover that their vehicle will not start or the tire is flat. In this case, you will have plenty of time to act, giving you the option of doing a bit of compare shopping. Many towing companies will offer new customers a significant discount or coupon, which can be applied to the bill. If you find yourself in a non-emergency situation, be sure to inquire about these discounts, because they may be able to save you a few bucks.