Tip #70: A flat tow quote is two numbers added together, and you should hear both
A flat tow quote adds a fixed hook fee to a per-mile charge for the distance to your destination, and gives you one total before the truck is sent. If the job matches what you described, that total is what you pay.
Tip #70 in one line
A flat tow quote adds a fixed hook fee to a per-mile charge for the distance to your destination, and gives you one total before the truck is sent. If the job matches what you described, that total is what you pay.
Stuck right now? Skip the reading and call.
Call nowThe two parts
**The hook fee** is the same for every standard tow. It covers dispatch, the drive to you, loading the car and the driver's time at the scene.
**The mileage** is the per-mile rate times the distance from the pickup to the destination you choose. Name a closer shop and the number goes down; name one farther away and it goes up, and you can see exactly why.
Add the two and you have the quote. On a longer run, tolls on the route are counted in the quote as well, so the total is still one number.
One call, one flat quote, 24/7.
Call nowWhat makes a quote hold
A flat quote is only as good as the information behind it. Tell the dispatcher the exact pickup location, the destination address, the make and model, whether the car rolls and steers, and whether it is in a garage or a tight spot. If what the driver finds matches what you described, the price does not change.
If the job turns out to be different, such as a car that is in a ditch rather than on the shoulder, a fair company tells you before the work starts and gives you a new number to agree to. It does not just add it to the bill.
That is the real meaning of flat: not that every tow costs the same, but that once you have agreed a number for a described job, the number stays put. Writing it down in a text or email makes that easy for both sides to remember.
Roadside work is simpler still: a jump start, a tire change, a lockout or a fuel delivery is one flat price each, quoted before the technician leaves.
One call, one flat quote, 24/7.
Call nowWhat a flat quote should not include
No fuel surcharge, because fuel is in the mileage. No night, weekend or holiday rate. No paperwork fee. No storage, if the car goes straight to your shop or driveway. That is how we price every tow from Linden, and roadside jobs are a single flat price each.
Call (908) 444-0129 with your two addresses and you will hear the total before the truck rolls. See local towing for nearby runs, long distance towing for longer ones, or request a quote through book online.
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.