06/25/2026
We have millions in equipment standing by on a momentās notice and expected to clear the roadway so the motoring public can travel yet we have to fight to get paid or not get paid at all. The Towing industry needs to stand up and fight to help us out.
āAll you did was tow it a few miles. Why does it cost so much?ā
Itās a question towing companies hear all the time after police directed emergency towing.
The answer is simple: youāre not paying for the few miles your vehicle traveled. Youāre paying for the emergency response system that made it possible for help to arrive when you needed it. Not scheduled, not tomorrow, not when we can fit it in, but right now immediate response.
Like EMS and the fire department, towing companies are expected to respond 24 hours a day, 365 days a yearāoften within 20 minutes of being called by law enforcement. That means maintaining trained operators, dispatch systems, insurance, storage facilities, and hundreds of thousands (sometimes millions) of dollars in specialized equipment ready to roll at a momentās notice.
Hereās the differenceā¦
Police departments are funded.
Fire departments are funded.
EMS receives public funding, grants, or municipal support.
Emergency towing companies receive none.
In fact, we may be the only emergency service expected to maintain around-the-clock readiness without taxpayer funding. Even more challenging, approximately 40% of our police-requested services ultimately go unpaid.
Yet when the phone rings at 2:00 AM, during a snowstorm, after a serious crash, or when a roadway needs cleared for public safety, weāre still expected to respond immediately.
And we do.
The invoice isnāt paying for a few miles of towing.
Itās paying for the trucks, equipment, facilities, insurance, training, and people standing by 24/7, ready to respond when nobody else can.
Thatās the true cost of emergency towing.