What You Need to Know About Getting Your Vehicle Towed
You’re driving along the highway for your weekend getaway to the cabin. You have your favorite music blasting but need to turn it down as you start hearing faint hissing and rumbling sounds through your vents. You turn your hazards on, safely pull over the highway shoulder, and shut everything down. After a few moments, you try turning your vehicle, but nothing happens. After ten minutes of trying to restart your engine, you accept your fate. Your vehicle is dead, and you need a tow.
For many people who have never sought a towing operator, you may feel plenty of stress under these circumstances. How do you proceed so you are safe and find the right towing company that will offer fair pricing and take good care of your vehicle?
Unfortunately, the towing industry is full of some not-so-legitimate businesses which tend to take advantage of your vulnerable circumstances. They know you’ve got nowhere to go, and most people who need a vehicle tow, especially from the side of a busy highway or expressway, are desperate. They capitalize on your situation, which could cost you more money and some potential insurance issues if they’re not properly licensed.
THere’s a surprising amount of things to know when getting your vehicle towed, but this guide will offer all the list items to cross off so you can successfully navigate this process.
Here’s what to do when you need a tow and car service in Longmont:
Collect Your Paperwork
Before you pick up the phone to start calling a business to pull your vehicle off the road, make sure you have all your paperwork lined up. This includes our licensing, vehicle registration, insurance documents. That way, you have the necessary information for property registering your model for the property help it needs.
Make Some Calls
With your information in front of you for reference, it’s time to get on the phone. If your vehicle manufacturer includes a roadside assistance program, you could call them right away for reliable assistance. However, if this isn’t available, here’s what to do:
- Call your automotive insurance company
Before looking at tow companies, find out whether you are covered or whether you need to consider a budget for getting your vehicle towed. Often, insurance companies will have roadside assistance available, but not always.
- Research your options
It’s ideal to know your options before an accident happens. However, once you’ve called around to find your automotive insurance, credit card company, or manufacturer don’t offer programs including towing and other assistance, you should have other options lined up. Before hitting the road next time, take time to investigate the best towing options in your area.
- Finding the best towing businesses available to you
Whether you’re preparing or stuck on the road, you need to consider your options before settling on a tow company for help. Remember that this industry tends to include scammers who will want to take advantage of your situation. These are called Bandit tow companies. Here are some common towing scams:
- False tow truck operators who show up to take your vehicle, licensing, and credit information and use it for identity fraud
- Tow truck companies that peruse areas for illegally parked cars or automobiles needing maintenance and approach the driver with inflated pricing
- Companies that target high-end vehicle owners for over-pricing
Here is how you can avoid these issues:
- Understand your rights when getting your automobile towed
- Stay by your vehicle until the tow truck arrives
- File a police report if you experience a scam
By knowing the above types of scammers, you should decipher between fraudulent and legitimate tow truck businesses. However, you should still have some conditions that you will want your authentic tow company to fulfill.
Some businesses won’t provide the towing strategies that you need. Many will only take your vehicle to a lot where your automobile will be stored until you make further arrangements like the necessary oil change in Longmont, CO, or help with your vehicle’s alignment in Longmont.
Ask the right questions when calling or researching your tow company. Consider where you will want the car to be pulled to and the average price range you should be charged according to your automobile model and size. Request quotes from a handful of businesses and learn about their towing approaches.
The Best Tow for a Vehicle Breakdown
If you’re sitting on the side of the highway with a dead engine, you will want a tow company that will take your automobile from the road to the shop right away. Many quality companies focused on auto repair in Longmont have their towing assistance options. Skip the risk of bandit tow companies and contact a reliable maintenance shop that will have your vehicle picked up and brought to the garage for thorough care. They will give you the oil change in Longmont or replace your tires, tend to your engine, and put your vehicle back together. The towing process will be more secure and safe as you know where your automobile is being taken, and it will receive almost immediate attention so you can start driving again in no time.
Plug Your Choice Towing/Maintenance Issue Into Your Phone
You never know when your vehicle could shut down. No matter what you do or how you take care of it, things happen, and it’s not your fault. In the case of an accident, the damages could be quite intense. So before you start your big road trip across the country, or perform your regular commute around your city, find a reliable tow and maintenance company that you can trust. Find their contact information, and add that to your phone right away. That way, you can take quick action without needing to research while under distress.
Don’t settle for maintenance and tow businesses that will overcharge and under-serve. Seek quality and accountability so you and your vehicle will receive the necessary help.
Drive safely!