Owner-Operator Tow Truck Driver · Independent contractor (1099) · Based in Linden, NJ · · Posted September 20, 2026 · Open through 2026-12-31
How owner-operators work with The NJ Towing Service
Dispatch takes the call, quotes the customer one flat price and sends the nearest available truck, yours included. You accept the job in the app, run it to the standard on this page, photograph the vehicle before and after, and the customer pays us; you are settled weekly for your share of every completed job. You never quote, never negotiate on scene and never chase a payment. If a job needs a truck you do not have, say so and it goes to the right one.
This is a 1099 independent-contractor relationship. You keep your own insurance, registration, inspections and maintenance, set your own availability and can run your own customers on your own time. What we ask is that a job you accept from our board runs under our name, our price and our standard.
What kind of calls you will get
Flatbeds get the AWD, electric, luxury and accident work, dealer transfers on Route 22 and Route 1, and the long-distance runs to the shore, New York and Pennsylvania that pay by the mile. Wheel-lifts get the local tows, deck extractions in Hudson County and the fast shop hops. Both get the emergency calls on Routes 1 & 9, 22, 27, I-78 and I-287, and the storm nights when every shoulder has a car on it. On the Turnpike and Parkway we do not work the shoulder; the Authority's authorized garage brings the car off and our truck takes it from the exit.
The territory is the 45-minute circle around Linden: Union County first, then Middlesex, Essex and Hudson, out to Somerset, Morris, Monmouth, Bergen and Passaic. You will learn the Turnpike exits from 9 to 16, the Parkway from 105 to 159, Routes 1 & 9, 22, 27 and 35, I-78, I-280 and I-287, and the local streets in 163 towns. On the Turnpike and Parkway the shoulder belongs to the Authority's authorized garages; our trucks meet those cars at the exit or in the garage's lot and take them from there.
What your truck needs
A flatbed (rollback) or wheel-lift in clean, roadworthy condition with a current New Jersey inspection, commercial auto liability and on-hook (cargo) coverage at the limits we set out in writing, working amber lighting, straps and chains in date, and a winch that works. Trucks are inspected before the first call and periodically after. Lettering is not required; a magnetic sign with our number is provided if you want one.
What you will do
- Accept dispatched jobs in the app and reach the customer inside the window the dispatcher quoted.
- Run every job at the price dispatch quoted; never negotiate or add charges on scene.
- Photograph the vehicle before and after; log the job and mileage in the app the same day.
- Tow within your truck's limits and tell dispatch when a job needs a different truck.
- Keep your truck insured, inspected, clean and equipped; carry the required straps, chains and lights.
- Represent the company professionally: uniform shirt or clean work clothes, courteous with customers and shops.
What you need
- Your own flatbed or wheel-lift tow truck, titled or leased in your name or your company's, with current NJ inspection.
- Commercial auto liability and on-hook coverage at the limits in our operator agreement, with certificates on file.
- Valid driver's license, at least 23 years old, clean motor vehicle record; DOT medical card where the truck's weight requires it.
- Two years or more of towing experience running your own or someone else's truck.
- Registered business or sole proprietorship able to invoice and receive weekly settlements; W-9 on file.
- Smartphone for the dispatch app.
- Able to pass a background check.
Nice to have
- A second truck or a driver of your own
- Heavy-duty or medium-duty equipment
- WreckMaster certification
- A yard or storage space in the territory
Pay and schedule
You are paid a percentage of every completed job you run, settled weekly, with the split agreed in writing before your first call. Fuel, insurance, maintenance and your own taxes are yours as an independent contractor; the dispatch, the quoting, the customer and the payment collection are ours.
You choose the days and hours you are on the board. Operators who cover nights, weekends and storms see the most calls; there is no minimum, but the board rewards availability.
What we provide
- Dispatched, pre-quoted calls 24/7
- Customer payment collection and weekly settlement
- Dispatch app with photos and job history
- Optional magnetic signage
- A written operator agreement with the split and the standards
How to apply
Two ways. Call or text (908) 444-0129 and ask for hiring; the dispatcher takes your details and hiring calls you back, usually the same day. Or use the form below and we call you.
The NJ Towing Service is an equal opportunity employer. We consider every qualified applicant without regard to race, color, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, ancestry, age, disability, genetic information, marital or familial status, pregnancy, veteran or military status, citizenship status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, New Jersey or local law. We provide reasonable accommodations to qualified applicants with disabilities. Hiring decisions are based on qualifications, driving record, and the needs of the dispatch board.