Accident Towing NJ | Collision & Wreck Recovery 24/7

Collision tow

What accident towing from The NJ Towing Service includes, from the scene to the shop

Accident towing is the recovery of a crashed vehicle from the road or the scene, winched onto a flatbed when it will not roll, the lane swept of debris, the car photographed for the insurer and delivered to the body shop, dealer or driveway you choose, at a flat price quoted on the call.

A crash tow is not a breakdown tow with a different name. The car may not roll. A wheel may be folded under the fender. Airbags may be in the way of the steering. Fluids may be on the road and glass may be in the lane. There may be a police officer on scene with his own idea of who is towing the car. And there is almost always an insurance claim behind it that needs a paper trail. Every one of those is handled on every accident call we take.

The most important thing on this page is also the simplest: call (908) 444-0129 before or while you call the police, and tell the officer a private tow is on the way and where the car is going. That one sentence is the difference between your car sitting in your body shop's lot tomorrow morning and your car sitting in a rotation yard charging you by the day.

Recovery from the scene, not just a hook

Crashed cars rarely roll straight. A bent knuckle, a wheel tucked under the fender, a locked transmission or a steering column with the airbag deployed means the car is winched onto the flatbed deck at an angle, sometimes with a dolly under the damaged corner so it clears. We bring the winch, the snatch block, the skates, the dolly and the boards on every accident call, because we do not know until we see it which one the car needs.

The lane swept, the fluids contained

Before the truck leaves, the driver sweeps the glass, plastic and metal out of the travel lane and puts absorbent on any oil or coolant. Not because the police ask, though they often do, but because a lane full of glass causes the next accident. It is part of the job and part of the price.

Photographs before loading and at drop-off

Every panel, every wheel, the interior, the odometer and the scene. Once more at the destination. You get the photos on request and the itemized receipt with the pickup, the destination and the mileage. That record is what your adjuster will ask for and what protects you if anyone claims the tow caused damage.

Delivered where you say

Your body shop, your dealer's collision center, the shop your insurer recommends, or your driveway if you want to think about it. If the shop is closed, we can leave the car in its lot with a note, or hold it overnight and deliver first thing rather than leave it on a street where it will be ticketed. You choose. We never take a car to a storage yard we picked.

Just been in a crash? Get safe, call 911 if anyone is hurt, then call us and tell the officer your tow is on the way.

Call (908) 444-0129 Emergency towing

Rotation tow

What a police rotation tow costs you in New Jersey and how to avoid it after an accident

When police call a rotation tow company, the car goes to that company's yard and you pay daily storage plus a release fee and a trip in person to get it out; calling your own tow before the rotation truck arrives keeps the car under your control.

Every police department in New Jersey keeps a rotation list of licensed towers. When an officer responds to a crash and nobody has called a tow, he calls the next company on the list. That company hooks the car and takes it to its own yard. It is not a scam and it is not illegal. It is the default, and the default is expensive.

The storage clock starts the moment the car hits the yard

Rotation yards charge a daily storage rate plus an administrative or release fee, both set by the town's ordinance. A car that sits over a weekend because the shop could not pick it up until Monday has three days on the meter before anyone has looked at it. A car in dispute with an insurer can sit for weeks.

Getting a car out of a rotation yard is a trip, not a phone call

Release usually requires the registered owner in person, during business hours, with ID, registration and proof of insurance, paying the balance before the car moves. Then you still need a tow from the yard to your shop. That second tow is one of the most common accident jobs we do, and it did not have to exist.

Telling the officer a private tow is coming

If nobody is hurt and the car is not blocking a live lane, the officer usually has discretion to release the vehicle to a private tow that arrives in a reasonable time. Say it clearly: "I have my own tow on the way, it is going to my body shop." In most Union, Middlesex and Essex County towns that is the end of the conversation. From Linden we reach Elizabeth, Rahway, Union, Roselle, Clark, Cranford, Hillside, Carteret, Woodbridge and Newark quickly enough that this almost always works.

When the officer will not wait

A crash on the Turnpike or the Parkway is cleared by the Turnpike Authority's authorized garage, never by a private flatbed, and a scene with injuries or a crash the State Police are managing on any other highway may be cleared with whoever is closest. If that happens, call us anyway. We pick the car up from the rotation yard or the authorized garage's lot on your signed release, pay the yard on your behalf so you do not have to go in person, put it on your receipt, and deliver to your shop the same day. Stopping the clock on day one is worth the call.

Car already in a rotation yard? We can pick it up on a signed release today and stop the storage clock.

Call to get it out Contact dispatch

Crash scene

What to do at an accident scene in New Jersey before the tow truck arrives

Get to a safe spot, call 911 if anyone is hurt or a lane is blocked, call your tow and give the road, direction and exit or cross street, tell the officer a private tow is coming and where the car is going, photograph both cars and the scene, and take your belongings and documents out of the car.

Safety first: where to stand and when to stay in the car

If the car is on a highway shoulder and can be stayed in, stay in it, belted, with the hazards on. If it is in a live lane and will roll, move it to the shoulder if you can do so without stepping into traffic. If it cannot be moved and you have to get out, get behind the guardrail well away from the vehicle, never in front of it or behind it. A second collision into a stopped car is the most common way an accident becomes a tragedy.

Calling 911 and calling us in the right order

Injuries or a blocked lane: 911 first, always. Then us. A fender-bender in a lot or on a side street with no injuries: us first, then the local police for a report if you want one. Give the dispatcher the road, the direction and the nearest exit or cross street, what hit what, whether the car rolls and steers, and the make and model. Say "accident" and the flatbed comes with the winch rigged.

What to say to the officer

"I have a private tow on the way. The car is going to my body shop." Name the shop if you have one. If you do not, say it is going to your driveway. Officers release to private tows constantly; they just need to hear that one is coming and that the scene will be cleared in a reasonable time.

Photographs before anything moves

Both cars from all four corners, the plates, the damage close up, the position of the cars on the road, skid marks, the other driver's license and insurance card, and the scene wide enough to show the intersection or the mile marker. Do it before the tow, because once the cars move the scene is gone.

Out of the car before it is loaded

Registration and insurance card, wallet, phone and charger, medication, garage opener, EZ-Pass, child seats if you can carry them, anything in the trunk you need tonight. The car may be at the shop for weeks and the shop will not go through it for you. The driver does not open your glovebox for you either.

Nobody hurt, car off the road, photos taken? Now call and tell the officer your tow is minutes out.

Call from the scene What to have ready

Highway accident

Accident tow response on Routes 1 & 9, Route 22, I-78 and I-287 from Linden, and the hand-off from the Turnpike and the Parkway

Accident tows are dispatched from Linden to Routes 1 & 9, Route 22, Route 27, Route 35, I-78, I-280 and I-287, coordinating with State Police and local departments on the lane closure; on the Turnpike between Exits 9 and 16 and the Parkway between Exits 105 and 159 the Authority's authorized garage clears the scene, and we take the car from the exit or its lot.

Where the crash happens decides who is on scene and how the truck approaches. These are the roads our drivers work accident scenes on every week, plus the two Authority roads where the scene is someone else's and the hand-off is ours, and what they know about each one.

New Jersey Turnpike crashes, Exits 9 to 16: the authorized garage clears, we take it from the exit

State Police manage Turnpike scenes and the lane is cleared by the Turnpike Authority's authorized garage; no private flatbed is waved in, and the 11 to 14 express-lane stretch has no exit for one anyway. Call us from the scene regardless. Tell the trooper where the car is going, and once the authorized truck has it off the highway, at the exit or in the garage's lot, our flatbed takes it to your body shop at the same flat price. Exit 13 is minutes from our yard.

Garden State Parkway crashes, Exits 105 to 159: the authorized garage clears, we take it from the exit

The Cranford and Clark exits are one exit from the yard, and the Parkway shoulder itself is served by the Authority's authorized garage. Rear-end chains at the Union toll plaza and the Raritan toll plaza are weekly; book with us while you are still exchanging information, and our flatbed meets the car at the exit or the garage's lot and takes it to the shop you choose.

Routes 1 & 9 collisions from Newark to Woodbridge

The rear-end capital of the territory. Light after light, narrow shoulders, and cars ending up in the jughandles and the median. Local police from Linden, Elizabeth, Newark, Woodbridge and Avenel respond; the driver often loads from a side street or lot entrance to get the car out of the flow first.

Route 22 and I-78 crash recovery through Union, Springfield and the Watchung hills

Route 22's jughandles and center-lane left turns produce T-bones; I-78's express and local split near Union produces lane-change sideswipes. Cars leave the road into the wooded medians and the winch and the snatch block earn their keep.

Route 27, Route 35, St. Georges Avenue and the intersections

The local corridors from Elizabeth through Rahway to Metuchen and from Woodbridge to Perth Amboy are intersection crashes at the lights. Local police, a quick scene, and the car usually can be pushed to the curb before loading.

I-287, I-280 and the Hudson County approaches

I-287 to Bridgewater and Morristown, I-280 to the Oranges, the Turnpike extension and Route 440 into Bayonne and Jersey City, the Holland Tunnel approach. Dense scenes, tight shoulders, and a driver who knows where a flatbed can legally stop to load. The Hudson County page covers the garages and the alternate-side rules.

Crashed on a highway? Belted in or behind the guardrail, 911 if needed, then call and say the road and the exit.

Call from the shoulder Every town we cover

Insurance tow

Getting the accident tow paid by insurance: collision coverage, the at-fault driver and the receipt that gets accepted

Collision coverage almost always pays for the tow from the scene to a repair shop, the at-fault driver's liability coverage typically reimburses it when the other driver caused the crash, and our itemized receipt with pickup, destination and mileage is what adjusters require.

You pay for the tow at the scene by card, phone or cash. Someone else almost always owes you the money back. Here is how that works in New Jersey and what we give you to make it a one-step claim instead of a three-week argument.

Collision coverage on your own policy

If your policy carries collision coverage, the tow from the scene to the repair facility is part of the claim, subject to your deductible on the repair, not a separate deductible on the tow. Submit the receipt with the claim number. Most carriers reimburse the tow in the same cycle as the repair estimate.

The other driver's liability coverage

If the other driver was at fault, their liability insurer is responsible for your damages, and the tow is a damage. Their adjuster will ask for the receipt and the police report number. Keep both. If you go through your own carrier first, they recover the tow from the other insurer in subrogation and refund your deductible.

New Jersey's no-fault PIP and what it does not cover

New Jersey PIP covers medical expenses after a crash regardless of fault. It does not cover the tow or the car. That is collision coverage or the other driver's liability coverage, and it is why having your own tow receipt in order matters.

Roadside plans and rotation yard reimbursement

Roadside memberships often reimburse an accident tow up to the plan limit even when you did not call them. If your car went to a rotation yard first, the yard's storage and release fees are usually recoverable from the at-fault driver's insurer as well; keep the yard receipt with ours.

Every accident tow comes with the receipt and photos your adjuster needs. Keep them; it is money back.

Call (908) 444-0129 How towing pricing works

Wreck recovery

Accident towing for AWD, electric, luxury, commercial and motorcycle crashes: the truck and the rigging for each

Crashed all-wheel-drive and electric vehicles go on a flatbed with skates or dollies under damaged wheels, luxury and exotic wrecks are loaded on soft straps with ramps, commercial vehicles get a medium or heavy-duty truck, and motorcycles are righted and chocked.

Crashed AWD and electric vehicles

A crashed Subaru or a crashed Tesla is still an AWD car or an EV, and it still cannot be dragged on two wheels. The flatbed takes it, with a dolly or skates under the damaged corner. EVs with high-voltage damage are handled with the battery isolation the manufacturer specifies, and we tell the shop what we saw.

Luxury, exotic and classic wrecks

A damaged car worth six figures gets the same soft straps, ramps and boards as an undamaged one, with extra photographs. Owners in Short Hills, Summit, Westfield, Livingston and Montclair call us for exactly this reason: the tow does not add a scratch to the claim.

Commercial vans, box trucks and fleet vehicles

A crashed sprinter, box truck or landscaping rig is dispatched as medium or heavy-duty towing with the right unit for the weight. Fleet accounts get a direct line, and the photos and receipt go to the fleet manager as well as the driver.

Motorcycles down

A bike with a bent rim, a snapped lever or a leaking case is righted, drained where it must be, and loaded upright in a chock with soft loops so nothing else gets damaged in transit. The motorcycle towing page has the method.

Tell the dispatcher what you drive and what hit it. The truck arrives rigged for that car.

Call (908) 444-0129 Flatbed towing

After the crash

After an accident tow: choosing a body shop, insurer-preferred shops and moving the car again

You may take the car to any body shop you choose in New Jersey; insurer-preferred shops are optional; if the first shop cannot do the work or the car is totaled, we move it again to the next shop, the salvage buyer or your driveway at the quoted local rate.

Your right to choose the shop

New Jersey lets you take the car to any licensed repair facility. An insurer can recommend a direct-repair shop and may make the process smoother there, but it cannot require it. If you already trust a shop on Route 22, Route 27 or in your town, that is where the car goes.

Not sure yet? Tow it home first

A tow to your driveway tonight and a local tow to the shop once you have chosen it is often cheaper and calmer than deciding on the shoulder. Make sure the car can be off the street; many towns ticket wrecked vehicles at the curb.

Totaled cars, salvage and the second move

If the adjuster declares the car a total loss, it usually has to move again, to the insurer's salvage yard or to a buyer. That is a scheduled flatbed job at the quoted rate. If you are keeping a totaled car, we bring it home.

Rental cars, loaners and getting home from the scene

One passenger can usually ride in the cab to the shop. From there, most body shops arrange a rental pickup if your policy has rental coverage. Tell the dispatcher how many people are with the car so we plan the ride.

Car needs to move again after the estimate? Same number, same flat rate, scheduled for the window you want.

Call (908) 444-0129 Local towing

Service area

Accident towing coverage by county: every town within 45 minutes of Linden

Accident towing is dispatched from Linden to 163 towns in Union, Middlesex, Essex, Hudson, Somerset, Morris, Monmouth, Bergen and Passaic counties, with the fastest response in Union County and the neighboring parts of Middlesex and Essex.

Zone 1: where telling the officer your tow is coming almost always works

Linden, Elizabeth, Rahway, Roselle, Clark, Cranford, Union, Hillside, Westfield, Newark, Irvington, Carteret, Woodbridge and Perth Amboy. Under twenty minutes. Officers here know a private flatbed from Linden will be on scene fast.

Zone 2: Edison, New Brunswick, the Oranges, Montclair, Bayonne, Jersey City, Hoboken

Twenty to thirty-five minutes. Say the truck is coming from Linden and give the officer the honest window. On a side street or in a lot, that is almost always fine. On a live highway lane, it may not be, and we pick up from the yard afterward.

Zone 3: Morristown, Somerville, Freehold, Hackensack, Fort Lee, Paterson

Thirty-five to forty-five minutes. If the scene cannot wait, let the rotation tow clear it and call us to pull the car from the yard the same day. Stopping the storage clock on day one still saves you the most money.

Inside the map? Tell the officer a private tow is minutes out. Outside it? Call anyway; we pull cars from yards everywhere.

Call (908) 444-0129 See the full map

Hit and run

Multi-car collisions, hit-and-runs and parked cars hit overnight: how the accident tow changes when there are three cars or the other driver is gone

In a multi-car crash each vehicle needs its own truck and its own receipt, in a hit-and-run the police report number and your own tow receipt are what your uninsured-motorist or collision coverage will ask for, and a parked car hit overnight is towed to your shop with photographs of the damage exactly as you found it.

Most of this page assumes two cars, two drivers and an officer sorting it out. Plenty of crashes on the Turnpike, Routes 1 & 9 and the side streets of Jersey City and Hoboken are not that tidy. Three cars in a chain at the Union toll plaza. A sideswipe on I-78 where the other car kept going. A parked car on a Bayonne street with a crushed quarter panel and no note on the windshield. The tow is still a flatbed and a flat price; what changes is the paperwork, the order of the trucks and who ends up paying.

Three or more cars in a chain collision on the Turnpike or the Parkway: who clears the lane and who takes your car

A rear-end chain at the Raritan toll plaza or on the Turnpike between Exits 11 and 14 usually leaves two or three cars that will not move and one lane closed. State Police work these scenes and they want the lane open, and on those two roads the clearing is done by the Turnpike Authority's authorized garage, not by a private flatbed. Call (908) 444-0129 while you are still exchanging information and tell the trooper where your car is going; once the authorized truck has it off the highway, at the exit or in the garage's lot, our flatbed takes over. Each car gets its own truck, its own hook, its own receipt and its own destination; we do not stack two wrecks on one deck and split a bill. If two of the cars are yours or a family member's, say so and two trucks roll from Linden together. The Turnpike and Parkway notes on the homepage cover how the hand-off works on each stretch.

Broke down on the Turnpike or the Parkway? Book with us, and we take it from the exit

The New Jersey Turnpike Authority allows only its authorized garages to tow or work on the shoulder of the New Jersey Turnpike and the Garden State Parkway, and we are not one of them yet. Call us anyway. The dispatcher tells you how to reach the Authority's roadside help, and you book the rest of the job with us: the moment the authorized truck has the car off the highway, at the nearest exit or in the garage's lot, our truck takes over and moves it to the shop, the dealer or the driveway you choose, at our normal flat quoted price.

Coming soon: a booking assist that connects you to the right authorized garage for your stretch of the Turnpike or Parkway through us, so the highway leg and our leg are arranged in one call. Every other road we serve, including Routes 1 & 9, Route 22, I-78, I-287, I-280, Route 3, Route 46 and every local street, is a direct dispatch from Linden.

Hit-and-run on the road: the report number is the whole claim

If the other driver kept going, the police report is not optional. Call 911, give the direction the other car went and anything you saw of the plate, the color and the damage, and get the report number before you leave the scene. In New Jersey a hit-and-run by an unidentified driver is typically paid by the uninsured-motorist coverage on your own policy or by your collision coverage, and both adjusters will ask for the report number, the photographs and the tow receipt in that order. Our receipt shows the pickup point, the time, the destination and the mileage, which matches the report and closes the gap. Take photos of the scene wide enough to show the road and the exit; on I-78 or Route 22 that means the sign, not just the cars.

A parked car hit overnight in Hoboken, Jersey City, Bayonne or Elizabeth

You come down in the morning and the fender is folded into the tire, or the mirror and the door are gone, and nobody left a note. Do not drive it if a tire is rubbing or a wheel is bent; a two-mile trip to the shop can turn a bumper repair into a suspension repair. Photograph everything before it moves, including the debris on the ground and the position against the curb, then call the local department for a report and call us for the tow. On the alternate-side streets of Hoboken and Jersey City the driver loads from the street with the flatbed angled to the curb and is gone before the sweeper. The car goes to your body shop or your driveway, never to a yard, and the Hudson County page explains the garage and permit rules that shape the pickup.

The exchange and the report: what to get before either car moves

From the other driver: name, phone, license number, plate, insurance company and policy number, and a photograph of the insurance card and the license so nothing is mistyped. From the officer: the report number, the department and how to request the report, which in most towns is online within a few days. From the scene: the intersection or mile marker, the time and the weather. Write down where your car is being towed and give the officer that address too; it goes in the report and the other insurer will look for it. If you are shaken and cannot manage the list, the tow driver has done this a thousand times and will walk you through it while he rigs the car. The accident towing in Elizabeth and Newark pages cover how those departments issue reports.

Three cars, a driver who fled, or a parked car crushed overnight: the tow is the same flat price and the receipt is built for the claim you are about to file.

Call from the scene Hudson County towing

Tow receipt

How the accident tow receipt is itemized for your insurance claim, and how you get your belongings, plates and child seats back from the car

The accident tow receipt lists the pickup location, the time, the destination, the hook fee, the mileage, a note that the vehicle was winched or dollied, and the photo set, which is exactly what a collision or liability adjuster needs; anything you left in the car can be retrieved at the shop or, if we held it, from us during business hours.

What each line on the receipt means to your adjuster

Pickup location and time establish that the tow was from the scene of the reported crash, which is why we write the road and the exit or cross street rather than a town name. Destination proves the car went to a repair facility or to your home, both of which collision coverage recognizes. The hook fee is the flat charge for dispatch, loading and time on scene; winching, skates and dollies are noted on the receipt but are part of the hook, not extra lines, so an adjuster never sees a mystery charge to question. Mileage is the distance from the scene to the shop at the per-mile rate quoted on the call. Payment method and the last four digits of the card close it out. The pricing section on the homepage shows how the quote is built.

Airbags, fluids and debris: what the driver handles and what goes on the record

Deployed airbags are left in place; the shop and the adjuster need to see them, and cutting them away destroys evidence of the impact. The driver photographs them, moves the seat back if he must to steer the car onto the deck, and loads it. Leaking coolant, oil or fuel is contained with absorbent before the truck leaves, and a fuel leak is reported to the officer on scene because it changes how the car can be stored. Glass, plastic and trim are swept from the travel lane and the larger pieces of your car, a bumper cover or a mirror, go on the deck with it because the shop may reuse them and the adjuster wants to see them. All of this is noted on the receipt in a line or two, which is what tells the insurer the tow was a recovery and not a hook.

Getting your belongings out of the car after it has been towed

Ideally everything comes out at the scene, but crashes are not ideal. If the car went to your body shop, call the shop; most in Union, Edison, Springfield and along Route 22 will let you into the car during business hours, and some will bag what you ask for and hold it at the counter. If the car is with us on an overnight hold, call dispatch and come by during the day with ID; we walk you to the car and you take what you need. If the car is at a rotation yard, the yard sets its own rules and usually requires the registered owner in person. Whatever the location, get the registration, the insurance card, the garage opener and the EZ-Pass out first; those are the items that cause problems when they sit in a wreck for three weeks.

Plates, registration and child seats when the car is not coming back

If the car is totaled, the plates come off before it goes to salvage and go back to the Motor Vehicle Commission or onto the replacement car; the shop or the salvage yard will remove them if you ask, and we can do it at a driveway pickup with a screwdriver in thirty seconds. Child seats that were in a crash of any real force should be replaced, not reused, and most insurers pay for the replacement as part of the claim if you ask; photograph them in the car before you take them out. Keep the registration and the title accessible because the total-loss paperwork will ask for both. The after the crash section covers the second move to salvage.

The documents an adjuster asks for, in the order they ask

The police report number, then the report itself once it is released. The other driver's insurance details from the exchange. Your photographs of both cars and the scene. Our tow receipt and, on request, our photo set from before loading and at drop-off, which is time-stamped and shows the damage exactly as the car left the road. The body shop's estimate. If the car went to a rotation yard first, that yard's receipt too, because storage and release fees are recoverable from the at-fault insurer. Keep all of it in one folder on your phone. The insurance section above walks through which coverage pays for what.

The receipt is written for the claim, the photos are time-stamped, and your belongings are one phone call away. That is what an accident tow should leave you with.

Call (908) 444-0129 How towing pricing works

Total loss

Total-loss and salvage pickups, the second tow from your driveway to the body shop, and the rental car: what happens to the crashed car in the weeks after

After the estimate, the crashed car usually moves once more, from your driveway to the body shop, from a shop that declined the work to one that will do it, or from wherever it sits to the insurer's salvage yard, and each of those is a scheduled flatbed job at the same flat local rate with the receipt written for the same claim.

From your driveway to the body shop once you have chosen one

You towed it home from the scene on Route 27 to think, and now the estimate is in and the shop in Rahway or Union has a bay open Tuesday. That is a scheduled local tow: the dispatcher books a window, the driver calls before he arrives, and the car is on the deck and gone in fifteen minutes. A car that has sat for a week may have a dead battery and a flat from the crash, so it is winched up rather than driven up; that is in the hook. Tell the dispatcher which corner is damaged so the truck arrives from the side that can reach the tow eye, and have the key ready so the shop can move it inside.

Shop to shop when the first estimate does not work

Sometimes the first shop is backed up six weeks, or the insurer wants the car at a direct-repair facility in Edison or Springfield, or the estimate came in high and you want a second opinion in Westfield. The car moves again, and the bill for that move is part of the claim if the insurer asked for it. We pick up from the first shop's lot during its hours, with the release the shop requires, and deliver to the second the same day. If the car has been partially disassembled for the estimate, the loose panels go on the deck with it and are photographed so nothing goes missing between shops.

Total loss: the pickup for the insurer's salvage yard

When the adjuster declares a total loss, the insurer takes the car and sends it to a salvage auction yard, often outside the 45-minute area. Most carriers arrange that pickup themselves, but when the car is in your driveway or at a shop that wants it gone and the insurer's hauler is a week out, we do the move at the long-distance per-mile rate, quoted before the truck rolls. You sign the title over to the insurer, take the plates off and empty the car before it leaves, because once it enters the salvage yard you are not getting back in. If you are keeping a totaled car on a salvage title to repair yourself, we bring it wherever you say.

Electric and hybrid total losses with battery damage

A crashed EV with a damaged high-voltage pack is handled differently from a gasoline wreck. It is stored away from other vehicles at the shop or the yard, it is not charged, and it moves on a flatbed with the isolation procedure the manufacturer specifies. If the pack was breached in the crash, the shop and the salvage yard both need to know before it arrives, and our driver tells them what he saw and photographed at the scene. The second move for a totaled EV is scheduled in daylight so the receiving yard's crew is on hand. The flatbed towing page explains how EVs ride the deck.

The rental car, the loaner and the timing of the moves

If your policy carries rental coverage, it starts when the claim is opened and usually runs a fixed number of days or until the repair is done, so the faster the car reaches the shop the less of that allowance you burn waiting. Most body shops on Route 22 and in Union County will have a rental company meet you at drop-off if you tell them the day before. If you are between the scene and a decision, the tow home tonight and the scheduled move to the shop in two days does not cost you rental days as long as the claim is open. Tell the dispatcher when the shop expects the car and the pickup is booked backward from that.

Every move the crashed car makes after the scene is the same number, the same flat rate and a receipt that fits the same claim.

Schedule the next move Long distance towing

Related services

Accident tow, winch-out, flatbed or heavy-duty: the other services that start with the same call

The same dispatcher sends the flatbed with the winch for a crash, a winch-out for a car off the road but undamaged, a heavy-duty unit for a commercial crash, or a roadside technician when the car is drivable and just needs a tire or a jump.

Off the road but not really damaged

A car that slid into a ditch, a snowbank or a soft shoulder and is not bent is a winch out, not an accident tow. We pull it back, you check it over, and most of the time you drive away for less than a tow.

Drivable after a minor hit

A cracked bumper and a working car may only need a tire change or nothing at all. If something is leaking, rubbing or pulling, do not test it on the highway. The dispatcher will tell you honestly whether it is safe to drive.

One number for all of it. Describe the crash and the right truck is sent with the right rigging.

Call (908) 444-0129 All services

Accident towing facts

Accident towing in New Jersey at a glance: trucks, coverage, hours, price structure and what to have ready

Accident towing from The NJ Towing Service is a flatbed with a winch dispatched from Linden 24/7 to 163 towns in nine counties, the car recovered, photographed and delivered to the body shop or driveway you choose, at a flat hook-plus-mileage price quoted on the call with no surcharges and no storage.

Service	Accident and collision towing: the crashed vehicle recovered from the road or the scene, the lane swept and fluids absorbed, the car photographed for the insurer and delivered to the body shop, dealer or driveway you choose
Truck used	Flatbed (rollback) with winch, dolly and skates for a car that will not roll or steer; medium or heavy-duty wrecker for a crashed van, truck or bus; the dispatcher picks from the make and model
Vehicles handled	Cars, SUVs, AWD and 4x4, electric and hybrid (flatbed only, with the isolation the manufacturer specifies), luxury and exotic on soft straps, commercial vehicles, motorcycles righted and chocked
What to have ready	The road, direction and exit or cross street; make and model; whether the car rolls and steers; the shop or address it is going to; your license, registration and insurance card; the police report number if you have it; how many people are with the car
Where the car goes	Any body shop, dealer, mechanic or your own driveway in New Jersey, never a storage yard we picked; insurer-preferred shops are optional; pickups from a rotation yard on your signed release, with the yard's balance paid on your behalf and put on your receipt
Coverage	163 towns in Union, Middlesex, Essex, Hudson, Somerset, Morris, Monmouth, Bergen and Passaic counties, every one within about 45 minutes of Linden dispatch; direct dispatch to Routes 1 & 9, Route 22, Route 27, Route 35, I-78, I-280 and I-287; Turnpike and Parkway shoulders are served by the Authority's authorized garages; book with us and we take the car from the exit or the garage's lot
Response	Usually well under 30 minutes in Union County and the neighboring parts of Middlesex and Essex; 35 to 45 minutes toward the edge of the map, longer at rush hour or in a storm; a real window is quoted on the call
Pricing	Flat hook fee plus loaded mileage to your destination, quoted before dispatch; winching, dollies and the lane sweep are part of the hook; no night, weekend, holiday or fuel surcharges; no storage; no membership
Payment	Card, Apple Pay, Google Pay or cash; itemized receipt by text or email listing pickup, time, destination, hook, mileage and the winch or dolly note, which is what collision and liability adjusters ask for
Hours	24 hours a day, 7 days a week, every holiday
Phone	Tap to call

Everything about an accident tow fits in one table. Everything you need to do after a crash fits in one call.

Call now Service area

Accident Towing by town

Accident Towing in every town we serve: 163 accident towing pages across 9 New Jersey counties

Accident Towing is dispatched from Linden to 163 towns; each town below has its own accident towing page with the roads, the lots, the neighborhoods and the price structure for that town.

Pick your town for the local accident towing page. Every one is the same phone number, the same flat quoted price and the same 24/7 dispatch; what changes is the drive time from Linden and the roads the truck comes in on.

Accident Towing in Hudson County: 12 towns

Bayonne and Jersey City via the Turnpike extension; Hoboken and the Gold Coast within the hour any time of day. Bayonne · Jersey City · Kearny · Harrison · East Newark · Secaucus · Hoboken · Union City · Weehawken · West New York · North Bergen · Guttenberg. County page: towing in Hudson County.

Accident Towing in Somerset County: 16 towns

Route 22 and I-287 towns — Watchung, Bridgewater, Somerville and the Bound Brooks. Watchung · North Plainfield · Green Brook · Warren · Bound Brook · South Bound Brook · Bridgewater · Somerville · Raritan · Manville · Franklin Township · Hillsborough · Basking Ridge · Bernardsville · Bedminster · Branchburg. County page: towing in Somerset County.

Accident Towing in Morris County: 11 towns

Up Route 24 and I-287 — Chatham, Madison, Morristown and Parsippany. Chatham · Madison · Florham Park · East Hanover · Hanover · Whippany · Morristown · Morris Township · Morris Plains · Parsippany · Montville. County page: towing in Morris County.

Accident Towing in Monmouth County: 14 towns

The Parkway and Route 9 south — Matawan, Hazlet, Holmdel, Middletown and Freehold. Matawan · Aberdeen · Keyport · Hazlet · Union Beach · Keansburg · Holmdel · Middletown · Marlboro · Manalapan · Freehold · Colts Neck · Red Bank · Atlantic Highlands. County page: towing in Monmouth County.

Accident Towing in Bergen County: 26 towns

Southern Bergen along Route 17, Route 46 and the Turnpike — the Meadowlands towns through Hackensack and Fort Lee. North Arlington · Lyndhurst · Rutherford · East Rutherford · Carlstadt · Wood-Ridge · Moonachie · Little Ferry · Ridgefield · Ridgefield Park · Palisades Park · Fairview · Cliffside Park · Edgewater · Fort Lee · Hasbrouck Heights · Teterboro · Lodi · Garfield · Saddle Brook · Elmwood Park · Bogota · Hackensack · Teaneck · Englewood · Paramus. County page: towing in Bergen County.

Accident Towing in Passaic County: 9 towns

Clifton, Passaic and Paterson by way of the Parkway and Route 21. Clifton · Passaic · Paterson · Little Falls · Woodland Park · Totowa · Wayne · Haledon · Prospect Park. County page: towing in Passaic County.

Do not see your town? If it is within 45 minutes of Linden we cover it. Call and ask.

Call (908) 444-0129 Full service area

Accident towing FAQ

Questions New Jersey drivers ask after a crash before they call a tow truck

The answers below cover insurance, rotation yards, choosing a shop, what to say to the officer, riding along, totaled cars and what to take out of the car; dispatch answers anything else live at any hour.

How much does accident towing cost in New Jersey?

An accident tow is priced like every other tow: a flat hook fee plus loaded mileage from the scene to the shop or driveway you choose, quoted on the call before the truck leaves Linden. Winching, dollies and the lane cleanup are part of the hook, not extra lines. The number moves with the truck the job needs, since a heavy wrecker costs more than a flatbed, and with the distance to your destination. It does not move with the hour, the day, the weather or the town; no night, weekend, holiday or fuel surcharges, no storage, no membership. Call (908) 444-0129 with the location and destination for the exact price.

Will insurance pay for the accident tow?

Collision coverage almost always includes the tow from the scene to a repair shop. If the other driver was at fault, their liability coverage typically reimburses it. We give you an itemized receipt with pickup, destination and mileage, which is what adjusters ask for.

Can I tow the car to my house instead of a shop?

Yes, anywhere you choose. Make sure the car can be off the street; many towns ticket wrecked vehicles parked at the curb. A local tow to the shop later is quoted at the same flat rate.

The police already called a rotation tow. Can you still take it?

If our truck arrives in a reasonable time and the scene is not blocking traffic, most officers in Union, Middlesex and Essex County towns will release the car to a private tow. Tell the officer your tow is on the way and where the car is going.

My car is already at a rotation yard. Can you get it out?

Yes. You sign a release, we pick it up, pay the yard on your behalf and put it on your receipt, and deliver to your shop. Doing it the same day stops the storage clock.

Do I have to use the body shop my insurer recommends?

No. New Jersey lets you take the car to any licensed repair facility. An insurer can recommend a direct-repair shop but cannot require it.

What if the car will not roll or steer?

It is winched onto the flatbed at an angle, with a dolly or skates under the damaged wheel. A car that will not roll is exactly what the winch and the boards are for.

Can I ride in the tow truck to the shop?

In most cases one passenger can ride in the cab. Tell the dispatcher how many people are with the car so we can plan for it.

Will you clean up the glass and fluids?

Yes. The driver sweeps the debris out of the travel lane and puts absorbent on oil or coolant before leaving. It is part of the job.

What should I take out of the car before it is towed?

Registration and insurance card, wallet, phone and charger, medication, garage opener, EZ-Pass, child seats, and anything in the trunk you need. The shop will not go through the car for you.

Do you tow crashed electric or AWD cars?

Yes, on a flatbed only, with skates or a dolly under damaged wheels. EVs with high-voltage damage are handled with the isolation the manufacturer specifies and we tell the shop what we saw.

What if the car is totaled?

It usually has to move again, to the insurer's salvage yard or a buyer, and that is a scheduled flatbed job at the quoted rate. If you are keeping it, we bring it home.

Is an accident tow more expensive than a regular tow?

The price is the same flat hook fee plus mileage. Winching a car that will not roll is part of the hook, not a separate charge. The dispatcher quotes it before the truck rolls.

The other driver drove away. Who pays for the tow after a hit-and-run?

Usually your own policy, through uninsured-motorist coverage or collision coverage, and the adjuster will want the police report number first. Call 911 from the scene, give the direction the other car went and anything you saw of the plate or the color, and get the report number before you leave. Our receipt shows the pickup point, the time, the destination and the mileage, which matches the report and is what the adjuster asks for next. Photograph the scene wide enough to show the road and the exit sign, not just the cars, and keep it all in one folder on your phone.

I left things in the car and it is already at the body shop. How do I get them back?

Call the shop. Most body shops in Union, Middlesex and Essex County will let you into the car during business hours, and many will bag what you ask for and hold it at the counter. If we are holding the car overnight for you, call dispatch and come by during the day with ID and we walk you to it. If the car went to a rotation yard, the yard sets its own rules and usually requires the registered owner in person. Get the registration, the insurance card, the garage opener and the EZ-Pass out first; those are the items that cause trouble when they sit in a wreck for weeks.

Can you tow me off the New Jersey Turnpike or the Garden State Parkway?

The New Jersey Turnpike Authority allows only its authorized garages to tow or work on the shoulder of the New Jersey Turnpike and the Garden State Parkway, and we are not one of them yet. Call us anyway. The dispatcher tells you how to reach the Authority's roadside help, and you book the rest of the job with us: the moment the authorized truck has the car off the highway, at the nearest exit or in the garage's lot, our truck takes over and moves it to the shop, the dealer or the driveway you choose, at our normal flat quoted price. After a crash, the receipt still shows the pickup point, the destination and the mileage for the adjuster.

There were three cars in the crash. Can one truck take two of them?

No, and you would not want it to. Each car gets its own flatbed, its own hook, its own receipt and its own destination, because each one is a separate insurance claim and the adjusters need clean paperwork. If two of the cars are yours or belong to family, say so and two trucks roll from Linden together. On a Turnpike or Parkway chain collision, State Police will want the lane open fast and the Authority's authorized garage clears it, so call while you are still exchanging information, tell the trooper where the car is going, and our flatbed takes it from the exit or the garage's lot.

Question not here? The dispatcher answers it in one sentence and quotes the job in the next.

Call (908) 444-0129 Contact

Accident and collision towing in New Jersey: recovered, cleared and delivered to the body shop you choose, not a storage yard