Your insurance provider may arrange for car towing and foot the full tow truck cost depending on your insurance.
Towing costs are important if your car breaks down or after an accident and you need accident towing services. The maximum fee chargeable for most tow truck services in Queensland, Victoria, and New South Wales is set by law in selected areas.
In regulated areas in Queensland, the maximum charges tow truck companies can bill you for a 'standard tow' are below. The maximum regulated towing fee is $369.30 for the first 50 kilometres and $7.30 per kilometre afterward.
60 minutes to safely organise and load up the vehicle.
Towing the car to the desired location or the nearest holding yard.
Maximum regulated accident towing fee for the first 50km is $369.30, then $7.30 per km.
Fees are regulated in the Melbourne controlled area and regional Victoria.
The first 8km of crash towing in the controlled area is regulated at $221.40. After that, the tow truck prices are $3.50 per/km for every subsequent kilometre.
The after-hours surcharge for towing services past the business hours or during public holidays is $75.60.
Accident towing $246
Recovering stolen vehicles $162
Each kilometre over a 10km towing distance (Sydney Metro area) $5 per/km
Extra kilometre over 20km (Sydney Metro area) $4 per/km
Additionally, you may end up paying the towing company a higher tow truck cost, like in cases where you might hire a much bigger tow truck than you need.
These trucks have a flat chassis and a car deck on the back. They are used to tow many different kinds of cars, including small sedans and SUVs.
This type of truck is suited to carrying lighter vehicles such as motorcycles or light cars. A hook is attached from the crane on top of the vehicle to a chain that is placed on the vehicle's tow points.
They can tow all kinds of vehicles, including medium and heavy motorbikes and 4WDs. The hook under the truck grabs one of the wheels on your car or bike and brings it up into the air.
You might need a tow truck if your car is broken down and you need roadside assistance or have been in an accident. Your insurance provider may arrange for car towing and foot the full tow truck cost depending on your insurance. You will need to have your car towed if you have a major mechanical breakdown that cannot be repaired during a normal roadside assistance service. Another urgent reason might be that you don't have a way to get home or work and your car isn't working.
Here are some useful tips if you need to organise a tow truck.
Make sure you have the type of vehicle, make, model, registration number, and location of your vehicle when you call to get it towed. Even though states and cities have a base price, towing prices for a large vehicle will be higher than those of a smaller one.
If possible, at the accident scene, take photos with your phone of the damage to the car before getting the vehicle towed away.
When reviewing the towing costs, ask for an itemised bill when you pick up your car from the storage yard or garage. The bill should state any expenses, the towing price applied, and any additional fee included while your car was in storage. For example: if there were parking costs and/or storage costs and more than one staff member worked on fixing your car.
Where the need for a towing service is predictable, get a free towing quote from a local company near you detailing all the fees charged, also showing how the company arrived at the total cost.
When getting help for a car breakdown service, make sure you are not taken advantage of by the tow truck driver. Here is a list of things to avoid when hiring a tow truck for your car:
Never agree to legal or financial services in addition to the use of the tow truck
Never allow the tow truck driver to take your car for repairs
Check items on invoices before signing - check times, dates, kilometres travelled, etc
A tow truck is used for towing a vehicle to towing depot or a designated private property. An accident recovery vehicle helps you get home or to the nearest service station/garage after an accident. This service could include:
Routing and navigation
Providing fuel if required
Transporting passengers between their car and a nearby location
Roadside assistance staff may be able to provide minor repairs such as changing a flat tyre, jump-starting a car, or opening locks when keys have been locked in the car. They may also be able to provide hazard lights/ triangles, safety vests, and/or other traffic control measures, as well as battery boosts for phones.