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#1Townie
Wed Mar 7th, 2012, 02:21 PM
Ok so with what happened to one of the members here I thought I would put together a little what to do incase of towing. I will put all the info I have at hand will update it with changes.

First I will go over a private parking tows (ppt) first. This is the number one way that people get ripped off. We do have caps on how much can be charged. First off a tower can not charge more then 147.00 for the hook. On top of that we can charge and most do up to three bucks a mile. Each city is different on codes and things like that so it can be different from city to city. Right around three bucks a mile is a safe a bet. Also there is some confusion as to if we can or can’t charge dolly fees. I have seen that most towers will charge this fee if it was used or not. This is were you ask to see the picture of how your car was sitting when it was towed. They might show you they might not. All ppt have to documented. When where why. Also they have to be called into the local police department to receive a case number. A real tower will call it into Pd before they leave with the car. This is because sometimes when you hook these they end up being stolen. If it’s stolen you don’t get paid for it.

Ok so now you come out from whatever place and your car is gone. Omg my cars been stolen!!! You call the police and you are now informed that the car was towed. The dispatcher will give you the name of the towing company and their phone number to make contact with them.

If this happens after hours the tower can charge an after hours fee for giving your car back. It’s normally around 50 bucks. The cut off for storage is midnight. If you call after midnight just wait until the morning to get your car back. It’s just not worth it. The storage is 30 bucks a day. Right around there. That’s what I charge I think state max is like 33 bucks.

Now lets say your car was called in from towing location at 11:45 pm, odds are that the car was not in the yard until after midnight. They can only charge you that one day of storage. So from midnight to 24 hours later. So you can pick up your car anytime that day with no extra charge. If the car is in the yard before that they will be able to charge you two days if it goes past midnight.

So now you know where your car is and have the number to call to get it back. You towed my fucking car you piece of shit is not a good way to start to get your car back. Towers are able to work with you if they choose. Stay calm. If you can’t do that then wait for a while to talk to them.

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b9/nvrider/towdocex1-1.jpg

I made a mistake on the ticket lets see who can find it.

Ok so here is a tow ticket I made for you guys. I have put arrows for the things you need to look at. First if you notice the mileage. This is an example of being lazy. Mileage should be done off the odometer. No vehicle ever leaves with zero miles on it. How did he get there? Sure you could use the trip but most of us use that for fuel. We know exactly how many miles before fill up. This number should be something like 147588 and ending how ever many miles later back to the yard. Also do yourself a favor before going into the tow yard and Google map the distance from where the car was towed to their yard. If towed during the week during normal hours they may not have taken the most direct route due to dot restrictions on what streets our trucks can drive on. At night no one cares.

Next pay attention to what kind of truck picked up. Flat bed? Wheel lift? If wheel lift how did you park your car? If it’s a front wheel drive and you pulled into a space then they had to lift from the rear and use dollies on the front. Is it a truck? If so what kind of truck. Chevy’s are the worse for steering wheels to turn on you. This most of the time get dollied because of that. Fords normally lock really easy as do most foreign trucks. Also did you put on your emergency brake? These are very important things to note. Let’s say you back your front wheel drive car into a space but put the ebrake on. Still has to be dollied. These are all things that towers look for before towing.

So you see the tow rates are right around what I have shown you. He isn’t backing down on the price. Sucks but it does happen. Don’t get angry just pay the man what is owed and move on. The reason for it being towed could be a million different things. It’s best to look around before you park. I can have a car hooked and gone in under ten seconds. If you see towing signs don’t park there.

Things you will need to get your car out of any impound. License current registration and proof of insurance. Some yards may require an appointment to be set to get your car out. I do this so that you don’t have to for me to get back to the yard.

Now lets say you cant drive your car out. Maybe flat tire or something like that. To help you save some money offer to let them do the tow but to help you out on the tow ticket. I will do this for people who are being cool. I cut the price of the second tow in half. Why? I already made my money on the first tow. I have room to work with. Second I can take care of the person who got stuck in all this and make them feel a little better. If they tell you no then just hire another truck to come get it so they can watch money leave their yard.

So let’s say you came out and caught the tower before he has towed your car. Well a new law went into affect a little more then a year ago. The truck does not have to be hooked to your car to charge you. This new law allows us to charge once we are on scene. There may be some other city codes up there in Denver and other areas that I don’t know as I don’t do ppt tows up there.

So basically a tower can charge whets called a drop fee. This means you pay on the spot to keep your car. What a lot dirty towers do is hook your car and then come knock on doors and demand a drop fee. I hate this practice but it is legal. Now the drop fee can ONLY BE HALF of the tow fee. So because I charge 140 my drop is 70.

Ok now we are on to paying the tower. With a ppt tow a towing company will NOT accept anything but cash. This is the part that pisses a lot of people off. Why won’t we take a card? Because you can put a stop payment on a card. Then it is up to us to take you to court and get our money. I have even had people try to call the cops on me for not taking a credit card.

Ok now you are on to needing a tow for a wreck or whatever other reasons. Every tow truck will tell you that you can have it towed to their yard. How nice right? Nope. This is so they can get more money out of you. Denver towers are already very expensive. I’ve noticed most are around 80 bucks for the hook and with a mileage fee on top of that. It sucks but that’s how they are up there. Here in the springs you are from around 50-70 for the hook with no mileage as long as it doesn’t leave the city. I charge 65 for tows in town and more if you want to go on any of the bases. Why more for the bases? Well it’s a time thing. All the bases demand we go in through a certain gate and we have to be inspected. Time is money.

Be aware of who you hire to tow your car. I am one of the few that runs a honest company. There are too many companies out there that screw people over everyday and no one seems to notice. Just because they are the cheapest doesn’t mean they know what they are doing. Most common damage that can and has been done to cars.

Flat beds. Bending tie rods.
Wheel lifts. Damage to oil pans.

Flat beds can also hurt the oil pans but if this happens it’s more your fault for bad suspensions.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MX1atOGsvNo (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MX1atOGsvNo)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DIB96C_Cfog&feature=related (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DIB96C_Cfog&feature=related)

I wanted to post these links to show the difference between a good tower and one you want to fire. The first one is the one you want to fire. If the tow truck you hire hooks a chain to your car and then his truck and not the winch stop him. If you wanted a redneck with a chain then you would have hired a redneck with a chain. The reason you hire a tow truck is for the equipment and expertise that comes with it. If he is too lazy to do it the right way tell him to leave. If he wants a fee tell him to piss off. If he wants to bring the cops into it cool. When they get there tell them you are not letting him do it because he is negligent and you don’t want added damage to your car.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HyVhlCftamc (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HyVhlCftamc)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IcRqPRCU3M8 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IcRqPRCU3M8)

Here are two more examples. The first is a moron who is being lazy. Yes you can use these kinds of wheel lifts to do a roll over but he failed. The second is a perfect example of a skilled tower. Notice he doesn’t have to move his truck once parked to do the tow. This is what you want. A guy that knows what he is doing will rarely ever have to move his truck during a recovery.

Now understand that no accident or tow will ever be the same. Sometimes a tower has to think on their feet. I know there have been a few I had to do that was going to cause more damage to the car to get it. A pro will come over and tell you what he has to do and inform you that more damage will be done but should give you the reasons why. Be it for safety or to cause the least amount of damage to your car.

Now damage during a tow. This seems to be one of the biggest complaints my profession has. Does it happen? Yes. Is the tower a moron? No. This comes back to the old saying shit happens. Maybe you left the accident before the tow truck got the car hooked. The last time you seen your car the bumper was on it but now at the yard the bumper is laying next to it. There could be a number of reasons for this. A tow truck driver isn’t going to go out of his way to remove a bumper unless it falls under a safety thing for the tow. If the bumper might come off during the tow the driver will pull it off at the scene so it doesn’t end up in a windshield on the road.


Okay so basically first don’t park where it says don’t park. Don’t park in assigned parking if it’s not yours. Make sure you have current tags on the car. Just because the state gives you a one month grace does not mean the apartments do the same. Don’t give in to anger. If it seems shady it might be but it might not be. Know your city codes. Also know how to use dora.

http://www.dora.state.co.us/ (http://www.dora.state.co.us/)

Understand that tow trucks have rules to follow. Some do some don’t.

http://www.dora.state.co.us/puc/ (http://www.dora.state.co.us/puc/)

All the info you could ever want is those two links. Sometimes it’s not easy to find but it’s in there.

Guess I was off on the mileage charge.

http://www.dora.state.co.us/puc/trans/Non-ConsentTowFuelSurcharge.htm (http://www.dora.state.co.us/puc/trans/Non-ConsentTowFuelSurcharge.htm)

here is the puc link for all the state towing regs.

http://www.dora.state.co.us/puc/rules/723-6.pdf (http://www.dora.state.co.us/puc/rules/723-6.pdf)

to file a complaint against a tower.

http://www.dora.state.co.us/pls/real/CCTS_oWEB.trans_complaint_form (http://www.dora.state.co.us/pls/real/CCTS_oWEB.trans_complaint_form)

#1Townie
Wed Mar 7th, 2012, 02:22 PM
guess i figured this could be a sticky for future issues... maybe.. admans? :eyebrows:

birchyboy
Wed Mar 7th, 2012, 02:47 PM
A mistake other than the year?

grim
Wed Mar 7th, 2012, 02:48 PM
Good information man thank you!!!

Ive had my car towed many of times all but one were for legitimate purposes.

grim
Wed Mar 7th, 2012, 02:48 PM
Im pretty sure "I got you st" doesn't exist otherwise id live on it.

#1Townie
Wed Mar 7th, 2012, 02:54 PM
haha yeah me too.

#1Townie
Wed Mar 7th, 2012, 03:05 PM
A mistake other than the year?
yup. i made some mistakes on purpose. look real close. these are the things you need to look for.

birchyboy
Wed Mar 7th, 2012, 03:07 PM
Daily rate in the "storage from" box? Looks like $90.

#1Townie
Wed Mar 7th, 2012, 03:09 PM
Daily rate in the "storage from" box? Looks like $90.

yup. i did that and then also did the math so you would win. but it could go the other way too. add a extra day and if you dont notice it you loose money.

theres more as well.

bornwildnfree
Wed Mar 7th, 2012, 09:26 PM
Thanks for the info! I think there is a section for sticky threads with good info. I'll ask Spiderman.

Ezzzzy1
Wed Mar 7th, 2012, 09:46 PM
Dude this is good info! Pretty cool you spent the time to write this up for everybody.

longrider
Thu Mar 8th, 2012, 07:15 AM
Looking at your tow sheet I really don't think the owner of the car ordered the tow

derekm
Thu Mar 8th, 2012, 09:12 PM
Looking at your tow sheet I really don't think the owner of the car ordered the tow
the owners of churches

#1Townie
Thu Mar 8th, 2012, 09:25 PM
Dlush is on it for that part. No the ending time of tow. As i said we cant charge storagefor the day before. I know that the date wasnt right and i wrote it to charge only one day but it is written to charge for three when i can only charge for two.

#1Townie
Thu Mar 8th, 2012, 09:32 PM
Ok so just noticed i screwed that up. My intention was to try to sneak a extra day of storage. I rushed the ticket. My bad.