FREQUENTLY ASKED TOWING AND ROADISDE ASSISTANCE QUESTIONS

We’ve watched our clients over the years approach us for answers regarding towing. To make things easier and a little more interesting for everyone, we have compiled a series of questions and detailed answers that will be of help, let’s dive in.

HOW MUCH ARE IMPOUND FEES IN OKLAHOMA?

As soon as your car arrives at Oklahoma’s State Impound Facility, it will start to accrue storage charges. And the fee to redeem or claim the impounded car increases at midnight each day it spends in their custody. Also, an After Hours Release Fee will apply for anyone who comes to claim any impounded vehicle after the actual business hours.

To retrieve your vehicle, you will have to pay the towing and storage fees, provided you have all the required documentation in place. Below are the fees for a maximum of 24 hours.

Outdoor Storage Rates:

• Single vehicles such as automobiles, motorcycles and light trucks with length up to 20ft will pay $15.00 for storage fee.
• Single car or combination of vehicles whose length is over 20ft but less than 30ft pays $25.00
• Single vehicles or a combination of vehicles whose length is over 30ft with a width over 8ft will pay up to $35.00.

Indoor Storage Rates:

• Single vehicles like automobile, motorcycle or light truck with length up to 20ft pay $25.00
• Single vehicle or combination of vehicles with a length over 20ft will pay $25.00
• Single or combination of vehicles with length over 20ft but less than 30ft will be charged $30.00
• Single vehicle or combination of vehicles with width up to 8ft and over 30ft length will pay $45.00
• Single vehicles and combination of vehicles with over 30ft length and with over 8ft width pay $45.00

After Hour Release Rate

This is the fee charged for the release of a towed impounded car between the hours of midnight and 8.00 a.m, 4.00 pm to midnight from Monday through Friday and anytime on national holidays. The maximum after-hours release rate per quarter-hour for the release of any vehicles is $15.00

CAN I CALL TRIPLE A WITHOUT A MEMBERSHIP?

Absolutely yes! Being a AAA member is not a prerequisite to calling for roadside assistance, a can of gas or a tow. In other words, if you have a car breakdown and you need to call AAA for roadside assistance, so that you can sign up immediately for membership and use the service right away.

WHAT IS 24/7 ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE?

A 24×7 roadside assistance is a round-the-clock kind of emergency support service package designed to help individual car owners or drivers to get going again whenever they get stuck on the road.

A 24×7 roadside assistance package provides emergency solutions such as breakdown tows, battery replacement, emergency fuel, jumpstarts, key recovery and tire changes.

WHAT IS MEANT BY ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE?

Roadside assistance is a service designed to assist drivers or car owners, either financially or physically whenever there is a mechanical/electrical breakdown. Basically, it’s a service offered for a yearly fee and it covers; towing, battery jumpstart, lockout service, transportation assistance given to a stranded driver and passengers, gas delivery, pulling a stock vehicle out and tire change.

IS ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE FREE?

Roadside assistance is typically a service offered for a yearly fee but on rare occasions, it might come as a free perk from a new car manufacturer or your credit card company.

IS ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE WORTH GETTING?

Whether roadside assistance is worth getting or not may be dependent on a few factors but for what is what, you stand to get a bevy of perks and benefits This service can save you money, make your life easier, safer, and promise convenience and peace of mind to your daily driving experience.

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE AND BREAKDOWN COVER?

Breakdown cover is insurance that offers help or support whenever your vehicle suffers a mechanical breakdown. Roadside assistance on the other hand is a basic level of breakdown that caters to minor breakdown issues, fix your car on the spot or tow to a nearby garage for repairs.

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE?

Car owners do not appreciate roadside assistance until they are helplessly stranded on the side of the road however, a call to roadside assistance offers you the following benefits:

• You can hit the road back as soon as possible
• You have peace of mind knowing fully well that there is help awaiting you if you eventually get stuck
• Assurance of savings on the costs that have to do with vehicle downtime and service fees
• With 24/7 on-demand roadside assistance, you feel safe every single day you set out in your car

CAN I USE MY ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE FOR SOMEONE ELSE?

Regardless of who is driving or who owns the car, as long as you are in the car with your card, someone else can leverage it. Although, all roadside assistance may not be the same, in most cases your memberships to an organization that offers roadside assistance are not attached to a single car. The most important thing is to ensure that the level of membership and services is well understood.

HOW FAR WILL STATE FARM TOW MY CAR?

There is no specific mileage limit as to how far State Farm can tow your car. They aim at towing your car to the nearest repair location (even up to 50 miles) especially if the covered vehicle is not drivable.

HOW DO I GET ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE?

To get roadside assistance you may want to consider places like; Auto insurance companies: car insurance companies are one of the easiest places for coverage. Car manufacturers: complimentary roadside assistance for your warranty period may follow the new car or the certified pre-owned vehicle you plan on buying.

Member organization: If you are a member of an organization such as AAA, membership may include perks such as roadside assistance service. Credit card companies: if you are a premium credit cardholder, you are likely to benefit from 24/7 roadside assistance.

CAN ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE CHANGE A BATTERY?

If there is one 24/7 service that most roadside assistance or towing and labour coverage would offer, that should be battery service, from jumpstart to change of battery.

HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO TOW A VEHICLE?

The towing costs of a car ultimately depend on how far the vehicle needs to be towed, on average the national cost of towing a vehicle is around $109. However, the cost may vary and additional charges may be required if the vehicle to be towed is stuck or from a collision site.

WHAT IS THE CHEAPEST WAY TO TOW A CAR?

The cheapest way to go about towing a car on a long-distance will be with a long-distance trailer. If you are towing more than one car at a go on a multi-car carrier, you are invariably dividing costs between these cars since they are all heading to a similar destination plus, the services are door-to-door.

For shorter distances, using a dolly would be the cheapest option, and if you are towing across the country, vehicle shipping will be the cheapest option to consider.

DO YOU TIP A TOW TRUCK DRIVER?

Lots of people have an opposing notion when it comes to tipping a tow truck driver. You may choose to tip a tow truck driver if you can, especially if you know quite well that the driver went out of the way to help you. The truck driver will of course appreciate your benevolence but it’s not always expected that you do so.

DOES INSURANCE COVER TOWING FEES?

Unlike roadside assistance or towing and labor coverage, most car insurance policies won’t cover towing, instead, you make an upfront payment for any towing resulting from a mechanical issue or after an accident.

If it was to be an accident and the other driver was deemed at fault, every damage to your car and any towing expenses would be covered by their insurance.

IS ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE THE SAME AS TOWING?

While roadside assistance is a package that offers assistance to minor car issues, get them fixed and get them moving again, towing on the other hand can be one of the services under roadside assistance that helps to move your car to safer spots like a garage, mechanic shop or your home.

CAN YOU NEGOTIATE WITH A TOWING COMPANY?

More often than not, the towing industry is usually operated on single rules and regulations by the state, meaning that negotiation for towing might somewhat be impossible. The rare exception is when the cost of towing seems to be higher than the auction or sale value of the car.

HOW DO YOU FIGHT PREDATORY TOWING?

Unethical practices used by many towing companies to maximize income is referred to as predatory towing. To fight against these unethical practices, you can;

• Contact the towing company directly and make enquiries
• Gather enough information on local parking laws
• Collect enough pieces of evidence against the towing company in question
• File a case in the court
• Report complaints about predatory towing to all concerned agencies.

WHY IS TOWING SO EXPENSIVE?

Many factors contribute to the high cost of towing, such include; the purchase of expensive heavy-duty wrecking trucks for the company, high cost of maintenance and high cost of labour (skilled and experienced staff are needed to operate these huge trucks).

HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO TOW A CAR FOR 20 MILES?

Several elements may influence the cost of towing a vehicle, but generally, the average cost to tow a car for 20 miles will fall between $275 and $600.

CAN TOW COMPANIES CHARGE WHATEVER THEY WANT?

Most towing companies that are privately owned may consider the market they are in and the price their competitors are charging for towing services and thereafter charge whatever they deemed to be fair. For places where their operation is being regulated by the state, charging whatever they want will be impossible.

CAN I HAVE A CAR TOWED FROM MY DRIVEWAY?

Most tow companies will decline job offers in that situation. The best way to go about this is to call the police and have a ticket issued. I hope you find this helpful?