Tip #55: A breakdown at 2 a.m. should not cost more than one at 2 p.m.
An after-hours markup charges you more for breaking down at night. A company that advertises 24/7 service is staffed for nights already, so ask before dispatch whether the price changes with the clock. Ours does not.
Tip #55 in one line
An after-hours markup charges you more for breaking down at night. A company that advertises 24/7 service is staffed for nights already, so ask before dispatch whether the price changes with the clock. Ours does not.
Stuck right now? Skip the reading and call.
Call nowHow after-hours markups show up
Some tow companies add a night rate, an after-hours fee or an emergency premium when you call outside business hours. It may be a fixed line on the bill or a higher hook fee. It is often not mentioned on the phone, because the person calling at midnight is tired, stranded and less likely to ask.
The reasoning offered is that a night call costs more to run. For a company that only answers the phone during the day and calls a driver out of bed, that may be true. For a company that sells itself as 24/7 and keeps a driver on shift around the clock, the night is just part of the schedule.
One call, one flat quote, 24/7.
Call nowThe one question to ask
Before the truck is dispatched, ask: is this the same price you would quote me at noon on a Tuesday? If the answer is anything other than yes, ask how much more and why. Then decide with the number in front of you, not after the car is on the deck.
This is worth asking even when you feel you have no choice. You may have more choice than you think, and knowing the number lets you compare.
Also ask what happens if the job runs past midnight, or if the truck arrives during the day for a call you placed at night. Some companies set the rate by the time you called, others by the time the car was loaded. With one price around the clock, the question never comes up.
One call, one flat quote, 24/7.
Call nowOur price does not read the clock
We run 24 hour emergency towing from Linden, and the price is the same at any hour: a flat hook fee plus mileage to the destination you choose for a tow, or one flat price for a roadside job like a jump start or a lockout. No night rate, no weekend rate, no holiday rate.
When you call (908) 444-0129 at any hour, the dispatcher gives you the total before the truck rolls. If it would have been a different number in daylight, something is wrong, and you should hang up and call someone else.
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.