Tip #38: Always get an itemized receipt for a tow or roadside job
Ask for an itemized receipt every time. It should show the company, the date and time, the pickup and drop-off addresses, the vehicle, and each charge, so you can match it to the price you were quoted and send it to your insurer.
Tip #38 in one line
Ask for an itemized receipt every time. It should show the company, the date and time, the pickup and drop-off addresses, the vehicle, and each charge, so you can match it to the price you were quoted and send it to your insurer.
Stuck right now? Skip the reading and call.
Call nowWhat a good receipt shows
A useful receipt lists the towing company's name and contact details, the date and time of service, the vehicle's year, make, model and plate, the pickup location and the destination, the miles towed, and each charge on its own line. For our tows that means the hook fee and the per-mile charge; for a roadside job such as a jump start or flat tire change, the single flat price. It should also show how you paid.
Compare it with the quote you got on the phone. Our prices are quoted before the truck rolls, and there are no night, weekend, holiday or fuel surcharges, so the receipt should match the quote unless the job changed on scene and you agreed to a new price.
One call, one flat quote, 24/7.
Call nowWhy you will want it later
Roadside coverage on your auto policy, a warranty or a credit-card benefit often reimburses a tow or service call, but only with a receipt that shows what was done. After a crash, the at-fault driver's insurer may reimburse the tow, and your adjuster will ask for it. Businesses need it for expenses. Photograph the receipt or keep the emailed copy with your crash photos.
One call, one flat quote, 24/7.
Call nowIf a bill does not add up
Ask the company to explain each line. A legitimate company will. If a towing bill in New Jersey includes charges you did not agree to and the company will not fix it, the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs takes towing complaints. Keep your receipt, photos and notes of who said what. The towing answers page lists what our bill can and cannot contain.
Ask for the receipt by email or text before the driver leaves, or photograph the paper copy right away. A paper slip that ends up in a glove box at the shop is easy to lose, and insurers and warranty companies usually want a clean copy. If you paid by card, keep the card statement line with it. If the job was split, such as a Turnpike or Parkway breakdown where the authorized garage moved the car off the highway and we took it from the exit, you will have two receipts, one from each company; keep both together. A clear paper trail turns a reimbursement claim from a phone argument into a simple form.
One call, one flat quote, 24/7.
Call nowMore on towing rules & pricing
Keep reading, or go back to every post on the blog.
- Flatbed vs wheel-lift towing: which does your car need?
- What happens to your car after a police-ordered tow in New Jersey
- Towed from private property in New Jersey: your rights
- Towing pricing red flags in New Jersey
- Local tow company vs national roadside network: who actually shows up?
- Moving a car long distance from New Jersey: towing vs car carrier
- Tip #34: Choose the destination before the truck arrives: home, shop or dealer
- Tip #35: Ask the destination about storage charges before you pick it
- All posts
Need towing and roadside assistance right now? One call, truck on the way.
Real dispatcher, 24 hours a day. Quoted price before we roll.