Say goodbye to unwanted stress and anxiety in case of breakdowns by learning how to choose the best car towing service in our post.
Imagine you’re on a road trip or on your way to an urgent business meeting, and your car breaks down. Naturally, this causes you a lot of stress and anxiety. However, you’re not alone in this.
That’s because more than 80% Australians have reported facing a car malfunction or breakdown at some point in their lives. In such situations, calling a towing service will help you resolve your situation speedily.
But what if you choose an inefficient service, or one that damages your car further? It can lead to even more delays and monetary issues. That’s why choosing the right car towing service is essential.
Let’s explore more about how you can do that below.
Which Features Should You Look For In An Emergency Towing Service?
You should look for the following things when you choose a car towing service:
24/7 Availability
First, a towing service should be available around the clock. This will ensure that they can attend to an emergency call at all times. For example, say you’re driving through a snow-laden road late at night, and your engine dies.
You can get in touch with a service providing emergency towing Melbourne, and they will tow your vehicle safely. This will prevent you from having to spend a cold night outside.
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Fast Response Time
The towing service should not take more than 30 minutes to arrive at your location. However, this might vary depending on where you are, traffic, and weather conditions. That’s why you should choose a towing service that ideally takes under 30 minutes
Clear and Upfront Pricing
The car towing service that you choose should have a transparent pricing structure. They should clearly mention all the components of the fees, like distance fees, fuel fees, and so on.
For example, they should not charge you for the fuel spent by them on their way to you, unless they’ve mentioned it before.
Proper Equipment for Your Vehicle
Finally, a reliable towing service should have the right kind of tools for your vehicle. For example, they should have chains for towing heavy vehicles and polyester or nylon straps for light vehicles.
Some other equipment they should have is:
- A hydraulic winch, which is used to pull vehicles from mud or snow
- A tow dolly, which is used to tow front-wheel drive or FWD or vehicles
- Flatbed, which has wheel lifts and hydraulic lifts and are used to offload/onboard vehicles from the scene of an accident.
What Should You Do Before Choosing An Emergency Towing Service?
After determining that the car towing service you have has the features listed above, you should do the following:
Check Their Credentials and Legitimacy
Perform an internet search for local towing services near you. You should see a list pop-up in the online directory. This could either be a directory list on Google Maps or other listing services like Yelp or Yellow Pages.
Check each company in the list thoroughly by visiting their website. Scroll through the websites and look for their licenses and whether or not they have an insurance policy. For example, they should have either Category A, B, or B-restricted licenses.
These categories stand for:
- A: breakdowns or accidents
- B: breakdowns
- B-Restricted: towing vehicles to dismantle, repair, or strip them for parts
Evaluate Online Reviews and Customer Feedback
Once you’ve had a look at their website, study the review on the local listing sites carefully. Search for markers like punctuality, care with vehicles, and professionalism. A car towing service that is punctual will help you achieve a speedy resolution to your problem.
A towing service that knows how to take care of your cars will prevent you from spending extra money on extra repairs.
You should avoid companies that have too many negative reviews or reviews that seem too perfect. For example, let’s say 190 out of 200 reviews have five-star ratings and are variations of the same phrases.
That’s a sign that those reviews are manufactured.
Ask the Right Questions When You Call
After you choose a company, you should ask them the following questions during your call:
- How quickly can you arrive?
- What’s the estimated cost?
- What equipment will you bring for my specific vehicle?
- Do you provide roadside assistance?
The speed at which they will arrive will demonstrate their commitment to a speedy resolution of your problem. An upfront quote will help you understand how much money you will be spending on having your vehicle towed.
In case the towing service provides roadside assistance like starting your battery or changing your tyre, then it will be a bonus.
Watch Out for Red Flags
Make sure that the towing service you choose doesn’t engage in illicit practices like:
- Having unmarked tow trucks or drivers without IDs
- Forcing you to tow your car to repair shops that may not be nearby (signaling an off-the-books partnership with them)
- Demanding cash from you instead of online payment, or not providing an invoice
Keep a Towing Contact Handy in Advance
You should consider getting a membership with a roadside assistance club and have their number on speed dial. This will ensure that you don’t have to spend precious time searching for it during an emergency.
Apart from that, a membership will ensure that you get discounts and save money as well.
Final Words
A reliable vehicle towing service will help you tow your vehicle to the nearest body shop for urgent repairs. That’s why you should choose services that offer speedy resolutions, service around the clock, are licensed, and have good reviews.
This will help you avoid unwanted issues later on.
Avoid Future Towing Troubles Today!
Get in touch with a reliable towing service near you, apply for a roadside assistance membership, and start living a stress-free life on the road today!
