Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Predatory Towing Conpanies

Call the PD and ask them what kind of racket they are running. Take it up with the city manager or county supervisors. The problem with trying to make demands directly is they will just say FU, we have your equipment, what are you going to do? You'll be lucky to get half of your portable equipment back. I think your saws are already gone.
Get insurance.

Two major interstates 15 miles west of us. Was told that the primary wrecker operator for that area now charges $5K for the "big" wrecker to roll off the lot. Goes up from there...

that Tow company is kicking back to the police... i grew up in the business... Fight like Hell!!!

I am not sure that a government entity can legally force you to use a certain commercial business.

That aside, what does your insurance company say? Do you have towing and recovery coverage?

Did you tell them to get phu cked?

Many jurisdictions have standards / requirements for the towing companies on the rotating call list for police use.

Getting kicked off that list is a serious, existential, problem for a towing company.

That's the pinch point I would work in this case.

Sounds like a kickback racket to me.

When I drove for a AAA affiliated service station in the late 80's, your run of the mill service call like out of gas, junk start, lock out, paid the station less than 10 bucks a call. I have to figure the tow companies just expect insurance to pay. No different than an arborist/tree company after a storm. Dollar signs and all that.

Yep, that is the very point we fought an unreasonable charge from a towing company many years ago. Talked to the local police captain and when I explained to him the charges and what little was done for those charges he made a phone call to them and the cost was reduced to about 1/2. In addition I was told by a patrolman friend in that department that this particular company was taken off of the rotation for some time.

Texas has a regulatory authority over wreckers and towing and storage fees.

Here's the maximum rates. It sure looks to me like they gouged you...

https://www.tdlr.texas.gov/towing/compliance/vsf/fees.htm

Ther is a towing place in Bemidji that knows how to charge.

If they are all getting a taste then you might as well be talking to a wall. Maybe try a local media outlet.

I would immediately notify the police department that called them, as well. In order to avoid “favoritism”, most dept’s call towing companies on a “rotating” list. This company needs to be OFF that list…..

(Oops, see that Dutch said basically the same thing….)

I worked for a company that had big hooks.
A semi rolled over was $10k all day, everyday.
20 years ago.

Maybe less if it was easy, little traffic, no cargo.


This still seems crazy.



On the other hand...

The last truck the company bought was a big rotator.
$750,000.

One thing you gotta keep in mind is you don't just pay for the time that truck
is on your job. You gotta pay for it to exist.

Let's say it does 36 jobs per year.
Each job has to pay one third of its monthly payment, along with all the other
expenses. And the company has earned nothing yet.
That's not exactly how the math goes, but it's close.

Haven't read the thread; betting the majority of responses will favor the towing company.

The math may not be perfect. But it makes the point...

OK, I read the thread and am happy to see that I was so badly wrong. My faith in humanity has been boosted!

My city (Aurora) has a standing contract with a company. I do not know if you have to use them. The upside is a guaranteed response to clear wrecks.
The big predators here patrol apartments and such towing cars for anything they can invent. Not to an impound; just drop and hide them in a close neighborhood and hold them ransom.

What does one of their wreckers cost? 5 gallons of Diesel fuel and a railroad flare seems like a good idea.