Tip #65: Ask how the miles are counted before you agree to a per-mile price
Padded mileage is one of the easiest ways to inflate a tow bill. Ask where the count starts, where it ends, and whether the truck's drive to you is charged as well as the hook fee.
Tip #65 in one line
Padded mileage is one of the easiest ways to inflate a tow bill. Ask where the count starts, where it ends, and whether the truck's drive to you is charged as well as the hook fee.
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Call nowThree ways miles get padded
**Counting from the yard.** Some companies bill the miles from their base to you, then from you to the destination, then sometimes back again. The trip to reach you is often already built into the hook fee, so charging it again by the mile counts it twice.
**Rounding up.** A trip of a little over eight miles billed as ten, then rounded again on the receipt.
**Taking the long way.** A route that is longer than the obvious one, with no traffic reason. On a per-mile price, every detour is your money.
One call, one flat quote, 24/7.
Call nowWhat to ask
Ask the dispatcher: where does the mileage start and stop? Is the drive to me included in the hook fee or charged separately? How many miles do you estimate from my location to the destination, and what does that come to? Then put the two addresses into a map app yourself. If the quoted miles are far above what the map shows, ask why.
On a long run, also ask whether tolls are in the quote. A fair company counts them up front.
Mileage padding is hard to spot at the scene and easy to spot on paper. That is why a receipt that lists the miles and both addresses matters: you can check the distance at home with a map app, and if the numbers do not add up, you have something specific to raise.
One call, one flat quote, 24/7.
Call nowHow we count
Our tows are priced as a flat hook fee plus a per-mile rate from the pickup to the drop-off you name. The drive from Linden to you is built into the hook fee, not added to it by the mile. The dispatcher quotes the miles and the total on the call, and the itemized receipt shows the same miles and both addresses, so you can check them.
For a long run to the shore or out of state, long distance towing explains how route miles, tolls and the return leg are added into one quoted number before the truck moves. For anything closer, see local towing, or call (908) 444-0129 with your two addresses.
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
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