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What to know before your car is towed.
By Kim Garretson
(This was printed in Better Homes and Garden magazine, April 1981)
Unless you’re really unlucky, your car will only have to be towed every couple of years or so – after an accident or breakdown on the road, or simply when your car won’t budge out of your driveway. That’s hardly enough experience to acquaint you with the ins and outs of the towing business. In fact, tow truck operators sometimes find it’s relatively easy to do a sloppy job and charge any amount they please because they’re dealing with uninformed and distraught drivers. When you’re upset about your car and your predicament, you’re not likely to question what equipment is uses to life your car, how the car is lifted by the truck, and where the car is taken to be fixed. But, as you’ll see below, it pays to be vigilant.
PICKING THE OPERATOR
When you must pick a tow operator from the Yellow Pages, about all you have to go by is the size of the ad, the number of trucks the ad says he has. When you call, ask if the firm is licensed or certified by the city or state.
Also make it clear where the car is to be towed and get a quote. Get the name of the person you’re talking to so you can contact him or her again if the tow truck driver balks at the quoted price or destination.
If you belong to an auto club, make sure you know the club’s rules on towing. Most will reimburse you for the tow (not the repairs) regardless of the operator you’ve called. In most cities, AAA, Allstate and Amoco certify tow operators. You can reach them by calling the club’s emergency number or calling operators displaying the club’s logo in their ads. If a police officer or CB radio operator will call for your tow, make certain he or she contacts an operator certified by your club. You may find the auto club requires the operator to take your car to a specific repair shop. Don’t worry; if any disputes arises about the shop’s repairs, the club will mediate.
Sometimes, you can’t pick the operator who will tow your car. When its blocking traffic on a freeway or in an intersection, your car may be towed by the first truck to respond to the police officers call or by an operator under contract to the police. And the officer may order the truck to push your car out of the line of traffic before attaching towing devices. If this causes additional damage to your car, you may have more difficulty than usual collecting a settlement.
THE HOOKUP
If you don’t carry your owner’s manual in the car, make certain you know the towing instructions. Letting a tow truck driver hook up your car without your supervision could result in damage; it can be as minor a s crushed air deflector under the front bumper or as major as a ruined transmission.
Transmission damage can occur when the car is towed with its driving wheels on the road. Even if the transmission is in neutral, it often won’t get proper lubrication. If your car is one of the new front wheel drive models, make sure that tow truck driver doesn’t lift the rear of the car.
Before allowing a tow truck to lift your car, make sure the truck is the type specified by your owner’s manual.
Most tow trucks are the conventional sling type what use grab hooks around the sub frame in front of the tires to lift the tires into the trucks rubber sling.
A large wooden beam cushions the connections, and chains secure the entire system.
Some cars, mostly imports, may require wheel lifting equipment for rear hook ups. This system, called a Vulcan Cradle Snatcher, lifts the car under the wheels, touching only the tires. The car’s weight is supported just as it is when the car is moving on its own power. If your car requires wheel lift equipment, make sure you request it when you call an operator.
There’s another method of transport; the car can b lifted onto a flatbed truck. This is a more expensive service and is only required for expensive sports cars. However, you may want to consider this option as a safety precaution if your car will be transported a great distance.
PRE TRIP PRECAUTIONS
Before allowing the tow truck driver to drive away with your car, inspect how he has connected the car. If the chains or hooks look as if they may mangle, scratch or dent the bumpers and sub frame during the tow, ask the driver for assurance that no damage will occur. Then check the car again before it is unhooked at the destination. If you spot any damage, point it out to the tow operator and fill out a complaint form before you leave the car.
A warning: If the driver asks you to sign a waiver releasing him from responsibility for damage to your car, do not sign the form and do not let the driver tow your car. The driver’s request amounts to intimidation, because such waivers rarely hold up in court.
In some cases, the tow truck driver may have to push or pull your car away from its resting place before he can lift it onto the towing device. For instance, cars stranded in ditches usually must be pulled up to the road service. Unfortunately, if damage occurs to your car from the pulling or pushing, you probably can’t get a settlement from the tow operator.
THE TRIP AND DESTINATION
Stay with your car during the tow, either by riding in the tow truck or in a following car. This is the only way you a can keep the driver from pulling the car at highway speeds; insist he keep the speed between 20 and 40 MPH, the limit recommended by most manufacturers.
Unless you insist otherwise, a tow driver will take your car to the closest repair shop or his own. If you ask him to take it to another shop, you’ll have to pay a small additional charge for the extra distance, but it’s probably worth the cost. Should the driver deposit your car at the shop of his choice, request an estimate while the car is still attached to the tow truck. And if you are dissatisfied with the estimate or the appearance of the shop, you’d be wise to pay the extra charge to have the car towed to another shop for a second estimate.
If a mechanic cannot write an estimate while the car is attached to the tow truck (at night, for instance), again let the mechanic know you may get a second estimate. And watch out for an exorbitant storage charge from the garage; the charge shouldn’t be higher than a parking garages daily charge. If the daily storage rate isn’t listed on a bill, ask that it be included.
WHEN YOU’RE NOT AROUND
The price of parking illegally, even for a few minutes, can be especially high if your car is towed away. Almost without exception, you’ll have to pay the towing charge in cash before you can get your car. If you think you’re innocent of any charges, you still must pay the towing bill and then apply for a refund though a local court.
