Tow Trucks/wreckers - I hear they are profitable
 

Wow, talk about something not yet on the internet. I can't find shit on this business. Anyone know about it?

Did it part-time as a kid. Hours sucked as most calls came in after the bars closed. Cops have a list of wreckers they call, you have to be on their list to make any real money and it helps to be on their good side. Pulled a few cops out of ditches without filing a report. Competition can be brutal as most areas have established services in place that have been there for years. If you can break in, the money is excellent.

Want a better one? Seatow. My buddy owns the local franchise here and he rakes it in.

Tow Truck Driver = A Crook On Wheels

I know a few tow truck drivers and this is some reallt good / straight up advice. :2 cents::thumbsup

I don't know if it's the best thing to break into w/o experience. You really have to hustle and get / maintain connections with cops and shops. Also you don't just want a wrecker, you'll need a flatbed too. Especially now, more and more cars have to be flatbedded.

Toss in the storage yard and you have the unholy trinity of legalized crime.

Most around here have more than enough work and do not even fight over the wrecks, whomever is closer gets it. They just work shopping centers, malls, and the like. They also all team up and or some get special calls for DUI check points and random DUI pull overs.

Then of course with AAA and auto clubs etc, they get plenty of business that way and via non covered lockouts.

Personally a illegally parked handicapped spot plus a mandatory full day storage fee once hooked up and you just made killed some guys account.

The land I am getting next has a tow yard as a tennet.

PS as they said flatbed is key, so is some other truck types.

great money if you got the yard, trucks, employees...


every state has different laws on getting a car... say you tow a car

you have to notify that person within so many days that you have the car.. you got your recovery fee, yard fee plus gas.... so you can collect all that from the person.... in the event that the person never claims the car... you can then sell it after so many days at a public auction to try and make your money back (all those fees) not to mention the daily 50 dollar fee to keep the car in your yard...

from a business stand point if you like fucking people over great business to be in.. from a personal stand point I think there like these payday loan places... a fucking sham and should be illlegal

The big money comes after you bribe the local cops to get on their exclusive list of "approved tow companies."

Accounts are key

Rotation
Roadside Assistance Members (AAA, Cross Country, etc)
Property Management companies
Dealerships
Parking Garages
Banks (repos)
Transportation (ebay)

Think what your core business will be (towing, transportation, wrecker service, roadside) and outfit your fleet to meet those needs. You definitely need a flatbed, if you will be doing impounds, or have alot of parking garages in the area a wheel lift will help. If you plan on trying to get on the rotation list the local authorities will have a list of items they require any truck called to the scene to have. They will also have specific storage needs.

There is definitely money to be made, how much depends on the area you offer service in and how established the tow company is. If you are looking to be an independent 1 truck solo operation, you may have to hustle 24/7.


Its a fun job, and you get to meet different people and work in the elements, but like many jobs out there it can be feast to famine overnight.

tow truck driving as a part time job? Why not? :winkwink:

Damn great idea, place and own a payday advance loan store in or right next to the tow yard.

I hear ya on payday loans. I know people are responsible for themselves but it seems like these places just squeeze the blood out of the stone. They lend a "helping hand" to let people get even farther behind the 8 ball. :mad:

They suck for sure, but I bet for every person who got messed up there were two people who avoided a repo on their car and thus kept their job since they would have been fired without having a car to get to work.

There will always be the idiot that goes there every 2 weeks to get a loan just because they want their pay check early and you bet they are getting in the hole, but it's because they volunteer to be stupid.
The reason they want the money early is so they can blow it all this weekend and the reason they need the money to blow is because they blew all the money they had last weekend. :1orglaugh

Some borrow to pay another to pay another to pay another and so forth. Yup some of the finacially inept will borrow from several on the same day if not through out the week. Technically they are not supposed to but with so many competiting companies, they fail to communicate.

Sad thing is I wanted to start a few here and could not get any funding and was down at the time. Fucking kicking myself in the ass, now there are like thirty to fourty at least when there was maybe one when I wanted to start a few.

Tow Trucks are not my friend

I appreciate all the info and any more info is welcome. I would be buying the truck for a family member who loves terrible hours and long days as long as the work isn't physically demanding. An air conditioned vehicle is right up his alley.

With most modern trucks for a typical tow (swing, etc) you do not even need to leave the damn truck. Though flatbeds are important I think and they do require people to get out if I recall.

I still however feel the real money is in a yard/truck combo.

He can get out for 20 minutes at a time LOL. I can't afford the yard now. Well, maybe I can but I dont want to invest that much in something I wont be involved in hands on. But I can spend 25k on a use flat bed.

I blame the tow truck driver for the reason my 911 got stolen :( never saw it again....

Two truck drivers for the most part are the only ones in the world with the same business models as Quick Buck.

1st had to correct your two tow typo.
2nd you forgot lawyers.