How Do I Get a Car Towed? What Do You Need to Tow a Car?

When a car becomes inoperable or dangerous to drive, it’s normal to need it towed to a mechanic or dealership service center. An engine failure, a flat tire, or an issue with the braking system are all examples of reasons why you might need your car towed. 

You may be asking, “How do I get a car towed?” Or “How much does it cost to tow a car?” This article will help you understand what you need to do to tow a car, what you need for towing a car, and when a car can and can’t be towed. We’ll also give you some resources on how you can get your car towed at a lower cost. 

How Do You Get a Car Towed?

Whatever the reason you need to have a vehicle towed, there are a few things to do to prepare. 

It may sound obvious, but, first, ensure you can’t get the car running again. If there’s an issue with the battery, you may be able to have it jump started, which allows you to drive to a mechanic. If you have a flat and have a spare tire, you can temporarily mount this spare on your vehicle to get to a mechanic. 

However, if the issue with your car is outside the scope of something you can fix, move the vehicle and yourself out of everyone else's way, but try to keep it accessible to a tow truck. You should remove anything valuable from the car and gather your insurance and registration information. 

From there, you’ll have a few options for towing a vehicle: going through insurance, a towing service, roadside assistance, or towing the car using another vehicle. We will explain a bit about each of these methods.

Towing Service

Towing services use tow trucks and other towing vehicles. They handle all kinds of towing, from towing broken down or damaged cars to towing vehicles that are parked illegally (or being repossessed!). Believe it or not, there are seven types of tow trucks: boom trucks, flatbed tow truck, hook-and-chain tow trucks, integrated tow truck (for commercial vehicles), rollback tow truck, and wheel lift tow trucks. This post on the website Different Types includes photos and descriptions of the various tow trucks.

The towing service you use will depend on where you live and what mechanic you’re working with. The best way to directly find a towing service is to search “towing near me” on Google or a similar search engine. You’ll find towing services that can usually tow your car within the hour. Other good sources are people you know; ask around for recommended towing services.

In fact, do it now, and save the towing company's info in your phone!

You will need to give the towing service information about your vehicle and a rough idea of its condition, so they know what sort of tow truck they need to send. Don't forget to include whether you have any special considerations, like you were towing a trailer, have a bike rack, have physical limitations, etc.

You’ll also have to tell them where you want the car towed, of course. Some towing companies may have a list of recommended vendors. Again, this always a good idea to do ahead of time, when you don't need it, so you're ready when you do need it. 

Pros of towing services:

• Convenience; you can find towing services nearby that can quickly tow your vehicle locally
• Usually run 24/7
• Will have more options for towing vehicle sizes and types
• Safety, as your car is being towed by a professional

Cons of towing services:

• Expensive, you usually by time and/or distance
• The larger or heavier the vehicle, the more you’ll pay
• May have restrictions on where they will tow your car to

Insurance

Many car insurance companies will include roadside assistance and towing in their plans as (sometimes optional) coverage. If your insurance is a full-coverage policy, it probably includes roadside assistance. Don't assume; check it now.

Liability insurance with collision or comprehensive coverage may have roadside assistance. Roadside assistance plans with insurance will usually have some restrictions, but can be a cost-effective option for getting your car towed. 

You will still need to confirm your vehicle information so the insurance company finds the correct towing service and where to have your car sent. However, they will typically handle finding and sending it to where your car is. 

Pros of insurance handling towing:

• Lower cost to you
• Hassle-free — the insurance company will handle finding reputable towing services
• May be a 24-hour service

Cons of working through insurance:

• Restrictions on coverage (for example, insurance may have a deductible or only cover the first hour of labor costs)
• Not included with all insurance
• It can count as a claim for your insurance, which may result in an increase in your premium

Roadside Assistance

Roadside assistance is an add-on that some tire manufacturers may offer with their products. Tire Agent carries tires that offer roadside assistance, which you can find by entering your vehicle information and then filtering to "Free Roadside Assistance" and selecting "Yes."

Roadside assistance will typically have a lot of restrictions on its use and may not be entirely free. However, they will help with locating a towing company and paying for some costs of towing. 

You may be surprised at how commonly roadside assistance is bundled into other purchases. Some phone plans, credit cards, and certified pre-owned vehicles may include or offer roadside assistance as a bonus. Roadside assistance can also help with repairs on your vehicle that don’t need to be done in an auto shop. For example: Jumping your battery or changing your tires can be included in roadside assistance.

Pros of roadside assistance programs:

• Covers towing and other common vehicle repair services
• Premiums may be included in your insurance, extended warranty, or with a separate purchase (such as through AAA)
• Will help in finding towing or repair services

Cons of roadside assistance programs:

• Limits on coverage (may cover towing only a certain distance or up to a certain dollar amount)
• May help you find only a towing service, not pay for any expenses
• Roadside assistance plans can expire or cut off at a certain date. 

Towing Yourself

If you have a truck or larger vehicle, you may be able to handle all the towing and transportation of a car yourself. That said, you do need to know what you’re doing before towing your own vehicle.

For example, a car hauler or tow dolly is required to tow a vehicle. Most importantly, you also have to be aware of your car’s towing capacity (including a tire’s maximum load value and your brakes) so there isn’t any damage to the car being towed. 

You should also ensure that self-towing doesn't void a warranty or insurance claim if your vehicle was involved in an accident. 

You’ll also still need to have a location in mind to take your car, as towing your car yourself will mean both loading the car and unloading it. If you, or someone you know, isn’t experienced with this, you can do serious damage to both vehicles. 

Pros of self-towing:

• More cost-effective than paying a towing service
• Can tow longer distances (especially if moving!)
• Fewer restrictions on how, where, when, and for what reasons you’re towing the car

Cons of self-towing:

• Requires experience towing a vehicle
• You need a second vehicle and a tow dolly/hauler
• The car towing your vehicle needs to have a high towing capacity

This article from U-Haul offers an idea of what's involved in self-towing, if you are new to it.

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