Tow Truck Rate Calculator

What should this tow actually cost?

Enter your truck costs and the job, and see the true cost of the tow including the empty drive out, your margin at the price you charge, the break-even price, the price for your target margin, and which levers add the most profit.

Nothing is uploaded. Your numbers are read in this browser and never leave your device. Estimates only: towing rates are regulated in many places, see the notes at the bottom.

1. Your truck costs

Truck payment per month ($)

Insurance per month ($)

Driver cost per hour, wages plus payroll costs ($)

Billable hours per month (hours the truck is on jobs)

Fuel price per gallon ($)

Miles per gallon

Tires, maintenance and wear per mile ($)

2. This job

Loaded miles (with the vehicle on the hook)

Deadhead miles (empty, to the pickup)

Average driving speed (mph)

Minutes on scene for hook-up and drop-off

3. Your charges

Hook-up fee ($)

Loaded miles included in the hook-up fee

Loaded rate per mile beyond that ($)

After-hours surcharge ($, 0 if none)

Weather surcharge ($, 0 if none)

Winch or recovery surcharge ($, 0 if none)

Extra minutes the recovery adds

4. Storage and target

Storage days billed

Daily storage fee ($)

Your cost per storage day ($, lot, insurance)

Target margin (% of the price)

Enter your numbers, then click Calculate price. Blank fields use the example values.

The model, and what it leaves out

Truck hourly cost = (truck payment + insurance) / billable hours per month + driver cost per hour. Per-mile cost = fuel price / mpg + wear per mile.
True cost = job hours x truck hourly cost + (deadhead + loaded miles) x per-mile cost + storage days x your storage cost. Job hours are driving time plus on-scene and recovery minutes.
Price = hook-up + loaded miles beyond the included distance x rate + surcharges + storage days x daily fee. Break-even = true cost. Target price = true cost / (1 - target margin).
Levers are fixed-size steps (hook-up +$10, rate +$0.50 per mile, 25% less deadhead, 10 minutes saved, storage +$5 a day) so they can be compared; the sizes are illustrative, not recommendations.
Not modelled: idle time between jobs beyond your billable-hours figure, tolls, impound lot and gate fees, labour for dollies or special equipment, motor-club and rotation-list payout schedules, taxes, and any rate cap that applies to you.

Common questions

How do I price a tow job?

Add up what the job really costs you: truck time at your hourly cost (payment, insurance and driver spread over billable hours), fuel and wear on every mile including the empty deadhead, and any storage cost. Then price above that by the margin you need. This tool does the arithmetic from your own figures.

What is deadhead in towing?

Deadhead miles are the miles you drive empty to reach the pickup. They cost fuel, wear and truck time like any other mile but are often not billed separately, so they are folded into the true cost of the job here.

What is my break-even per tow?

The break-even price is the job's true cost: truck time at your hourly cost, per-mile fuel and wear for loaded and deadhead miles, and any storage cost. Below it every job loses money.

Can I charge whatever this calculator suggests?

Not necessarily. Many states and cities regulate or cap towing rates, rotation-list contracts and private-property tows set their own schedules, and storage fees are often limited. This tool does not know your local rules. Check them before you publish a rate.

Is this legal or financial advice?

No. It applies simple arithmetic to the numbers you enter. Results are estimates and do not replace a qualified adviser or the rules that apply to you.