Picture this: Your stranded on the side of the road waiting for help, the tow truck that will get your truck or car to the shop where all the problems will be resolved.  Imagine your surprise when your mechanic calls you wondering what happened to your vehicle, first you will ask what he means… Then you will ask, “what do you mean my bumpers is lodged within my trunk?”   This sounds funny; well yeah okay it is kind of funny until it happens to you. In a conversation I had with a Shop Owner and Mechanic today my eyes were opened to a whole new reality.  Some of the horror stories include vehicles falling of flatbed tow trucks or vehicles catching fire whilst having their rear axels torn out.

Protect yourself

Some of the examples we have given are pretty extreme however aren’t that uncommon.  Damages to vehicles are pretty common however barely ever noticed or talked about as people just disregard them as something they may have done themselves to their vehicles or thinking that they have no recourse.   However this isn’t so, in any towing scenario it is wise to double check your vehicle before and after it has been towed. Look for the obvious areas such as points where your vehicle is making contact with the tow equipment as well as the visible areas of the under carriage and bumpers. When having your car towed it is advisable to take pictures of it before and after the tow, yes that sounds a bit paranoid but it is a sad reality that most tow truck operators either do not care or have the necessary experience to tow your vehicle safely.   In my conversation with the mechanics I was informed of an instance in which the tow truck driver neglected to secure the vehicle on the flat bed which then resulted in the vehicle falling partially of the loading platform and pancaking. Pancaking being a term that isn’t commonly used makes many people wonder how that applies with a vehicle, in this case the vehicle was a truck whose box and driver cabin were bent towards another so that they made contact. This also included damage to the frame and rear of the box of the truck.  Needless to say that if the owner of the vehicle hadn’t had a witness to the incident he wouldn’t have had much of a recourse and ammunition to fight the tow truck company to pay for the damages.  

Ensure you see the vehicle on pickup and drop off

As said earlier it is advisable to have pictures when the vehicle is being dropped off as well as when its being delivered to wherever it is going. Driving on the tow truck with the driver or following it cannot hurt either. When it comes to being towed you have to understand that tow truck drivers have a basic certification program which in the states requires basic multiple choice tests, which can be administered by computer as well as the requirement of having worked for 90 days for a towing or wrecker company. This may change from state to state but it does give you a basic idea of what to expect when you get towed. The guy at the lift may not know a lot more than you about basic physics, leverage and supports so make sure you keep an eye on what is happening with your car.  

What to do if your car was towed without you knowing Always make sure that you check the car out first.

Do not just pick it up and drive it of the lot. Especially when being towed without your knowledge when you have no control over the environment and state of your car you may find that your vehicle may be more likely to suffer damages. The list can be anything from damaged undercarriages (low lying vehicles), damaged frame (incorrect lifting of the vehicle if crane was used, this happens more often than not on trucks however a crane is rarely used to tow a truck), damages to rims and tires (this could happen if the braces chafe against the rims and wheels and haven’t been properly placed).  

Tow Truck Drivers please share your stories!

I would really like to hear from tow truck drivers in regards to some of the things they have seen and ways to protect yourself. So this is a callout to all tow truck drivers, please email us at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it so that we can post your recommendations and ideas.