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Oh the idea of long distance towing might be money making idea, but it can be costly if not done properly.
     Lets look at the subject and see if it is possible to do and make money.
First do you have enough tow trucks that will allow you to send one out of state for a day to a week at a time. You can do it with an older tow truck or a specially built one for the trip. It has to be reliable so that it does not break down and need towing and repairs. Can’t make money if you spend it on repairs. Since this trip will most likely be of a couple days in length, a sleeper will be needed on the truck, or you will be paying for the motel rooms.
     You also need to know that some states have regulations on the colors of the warning lights on the tow truck, my truck in Wyoming had Yellow, Red, and Blue warning lights on it. I know that I had to change out the Blue to Yellow or I will get big tickets for them. You have to figure that most states will allow yellow or Amber lights, so you need to have the proper covers for them. You also will need tow light for the towed vehicle, since some states require them and others have you run your overhead warning lights when in tow.

     Next you need a driver that you can send on the trip. They will need to have the correct license for the job, mainly a class A CDL. They also need a current medical card. I do not mean a Blue Cross card. They need a Department of Transportation medical card. This driver should also have experience filling out the required logbooks that they will have to do to comply with federal regulations. They also need to understand the hours of service regulations as to how long and far that they are able to drive every day.

     Ok, the tow truck needs to be licensed for towing in the states that you are going to run in. I work for a company that is licensed in 25 states. This is done with the SSRS (single state registration system) that is available. This allows you to register in different states for a fee. You also will need to have your IFTA (International Fuel Tax Agreement) registration so that you do not need to buy fuel permits in the various states.
     Insurance for the tow is also needed, since some insurance policies have a distance restriction on them, are you covered for the area that you are going to?        

     Now that all this is covered, let’s say that you get the tow, because you bid the trip to make money. Did you figure that you are most likely going to be traveling one way empty? Yup it only pays towing on one part of the trip. You have to find your way back home most of the time, and you are empty them. Now if you have a couple of days to play with before the trip, then you might be able to find something to come back with.
Calling the trucking companies that are in your area can do this, and asking them if they have any trucks that need to be brought back to the terminal. They do not need to be wrecked, since some times drivers quit and abandon the trucks in places that they are at. Truck drivers are a very mobile group, and the trucking industry turnover rate shows it. Some companies have a driver turnover rate of over 100% a year.    
     If this does not work call the local shops that you tow for, since they might have a vehicle they bought somewhere and it needs to get back. There are also the load posting service boards that are in truck stops. Now this is mainly for loads, but they also have some companies listed that transport vehicles. You might get lucks and find a load back home or close to it.

     Or you can just try and find something that is on the road broke down and needs to get into a shop. This one is hard to do, because in some areas you need to be licensed to tow in the state, county, or city or have certain permits or medallions . Be careful with this.
     Also, what about payment on the tow. Do you want a purchase order from a dealership that is several states away. Or are you set up to take the different kinds of checks that truckers use like Comchecks, T Checks, or EFS checks to name a few.
    
     Another thing to consider is the money that you need on the trip, since the driver will have to buy fuel and stuff like that. Tolls, permits, parking fees for parking in truck stops at night. All of these need to be figured into the rate that you quote.

     I hope that this covers some of the areas that you will be faced with, and that you are able to do this kind of work and make money at it. It is fun to get away from the shop that times, heck I have been to Houston Texas, Seattle Washington and Salt Lake City from when I worked in Cheyenne Wyoming. I only got lucky one time on the trips and found something to bring back, and that was a 190 mile tow back to Cheyenne for one of our contracted customers. That tow paid for all the fuel used on the entire trip. So that one was a good trip.
     Now I regularly go to South Carolina or Louisiana on tows. In the last year I have been in 14 states either getting or taking vehicles. All of this is from the South East corner of Alabama where I am located now.