Your car will not start, or it just died on the side of the road, and now you need a tow truck. Right after “how fast can they get here”, the next question is always the same: what is this going to cost me?
So how much does a tow truck cost? At the towing companies I checked, and on the New York State Thruway’s rate sheet, a 10-mile tow costs about $130 to $220.
Almost every company charges a hook-up fee first, then a price for every mile your car rides on the truck.
In this guide I will show you how a tow is priced, what three real towing companies charge, what you pay when your car is towed from a parking lot, what owners actually paid, and how to pay less.
How Much Does It Cost to Tow a Car?
A tow bill has two main parts. The hook-up fee is a fixed price for coming out and loading your car. The mileage fee is charged for every mile from where your car was picked up to where it is dropped off.
The New York State Thruway shows how this works. Tow companies working on the Thruway may charge at most $110 to $120 to hook up a car in the daytime, and $7 for every mile after that.
So a 10-mile daytime tow on the Thruway comes to $120 + 10 × $7 = $190 at the most. At night and on weekends the hook-up goes up to $130 to $150, and the same tow can reach $220.
What Three Towing Companies Charge
Most towing companies only give a price on the phone. These three publish theirs, so here is a 10-mile tow at each. The totals are my sums from their own rates:
Freeway Towing & Storage says most local tows in Phoenix cost $167 to $270, depending on the distance. Unlike many companies, it does not charge extra at night, on weekends or on holidays.
Insurance companies see the same range. State Farm puts a local tow at about $75 to $200 or more without roadside cover.
What Makes a Tow Cost More
The hook-up and the miles are only the start. These extras show up on the companies’ own price lists:
- No keys for the car: $25 extra at D & R Towing and $35 at Freeway Towing & Storage.
- Wheels that do not roll, or a car that will not go into neutral: $65 extra at Freeway Towing & Storage.
- A lowered or modified car that needs ramps: $25 to $50 extra at D & R Towing.
- A car stuck in a ditch or off the road: winching is $125 an hour at D & R Towing, and $150 an hour at Freeway Towing & Storage.
- Night and weekend calls on the New York State Thruway, where the hook-up fee rises by $20 to $30.
- A motorcycle, which starts at $175 for the hook-up at D & R Towing.
Before the truck comes, ask for the hook-up fee, the price per mile and any extras. A good towing company will tell you on the phone.
If Your Car Was Towed From a Parking Lot
A tow you did not ask for, from a private parking lot, follows different rules. In Texas the state sets the most a towing company may charge for it.
The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation lists these limits for a car up to 10,000 pounds:
If you catch the truck before your car is fully hooked up, you can ask for it back and pay nothing. Once it is fully hooked up but still in the lot, you can still keep it by paying the drop fee.
Time matters once it is gone. Picked up two days later, the bill is $272 + 2 × $22.85 = $317.70, plus up to $50 for the notice. So go and get your car as fast as you can.
Other states and cities set their own limits, and some are lower, so look up yours if you are not in Texas.
What Owners Paid, From Tesla Motors Club
Rate sheets are one thing, but I always like to see real bills. Tesla owners have shared some on Tesla Motors Club:
- A Model S owner needed a 200-mile tow from Clayton to Santa Fe in New Mexico. The quote was $1,600, and it came to $1,200 after insurance covered the first 50 miles, as they wrote in March 2024.
- A Model X owner whose car stopped on the highway had to pay $325 before the tow truck would take it, in April 2024.
- A Model Y owner paid $1,000 to tow the car to a Tesla service center after a fuse blew, in June 2024.
Look at the first one. $1,200 for 150 miles is $8 a mile. Long tows get expensive fast, and that is where roadside cover pays for itself.
How to Pay Less for a Tow
The cheapest tow is the one you already paid for. AAA is the best known. Its Mountain West club, for example, charges $64.99 a year for Classic, $99.99 for Plus and $124.99 for Premier.
Classic covers tows up to 5 miles. Plus covers up to 100 miles, and Premier adds one tow a year of up to 200 miles. Prices differ a little between AAA clubs.
Your car insurance may sell roadside cover too. At State Farm, roadside assistance costs $10 to $20 a year on average, which is less than one short tow.
Many new cars also come with free roadside help for the first few years. Check your warranty booklet before you pay for a tow.
If you have to pay yourself, call two companies, compare the hook-up fee and the price per mile, and tow to the nearest shop you trust.
Work Out Your Own Price
Work out your price
Prices are D & R Towing's published rates in Lake Barrington, Illinois, checked October 5, 2026: a $125 hook-up for a car or pickup, $5 for every towed mile, and $25 extra with no keys.
Questions People Ask About Towing Prices
How much does a tow truck cost per mile?
$3.50 to $7 a mile at the companies in this guide and on the New York State Thruway, on top of a hook-up fee of $95 to $150.
How much does it cost to tow a car 10 miles?
About $130 to $220. That is $130 at C3M Towing in Atlanta, $175 at D & R Towing in Illinois, $201.25 at Freeway Towing & Storage in Phoenix, and up to $220 on the New York State Thruway at night.
How much does it cost to tow a car 100 miles?
At the same rates, about $445 to $850. A AAA Plus membership at $99.99 a year covers tows of up to 100 miles.
How much does it cost to get a towed car back in Texas?
The tow from a private parking lot is at most $272, storage is $22.85 a day, and a notice fee of up to $50 can be added after 24 hours.
Does AAA pay for towing?
Yes. At AAA’s Mountain West club, Classic covers tows up to 5 miles, Plus up to 100 miles and Premier one tow a year of up to 200 miles.
Where These Prices Come From
- New York State Thruway Authority, Authorized Towing, Winching Rates and Roadside Service, vehicles 10,000 lbs and under, effective May 20, 2022.
- C3M Towing, Atlanta, Georgia, Atlanta Towing FAQ, checked October 5, 2026.
- D & R Towing, Lake Barrington, Illinois, Pricing and Rates, checked October 5, 2026.
- Freeway Towing & Storage, Phoenix, Arizona, Tow Price Calculator, checked October 5, 2026.
- State Farm, Does Roadside Assistance Save Money?, checked October 5, 2026.
- Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, Consumer Information about Towing, checked October 5, 2026.
- AAA Mountain West Group, How Much Does AAA Membership Cost?, checked October 5, 2026.
- Tesla Motors Club, owner posts from March, April and June 2024, linked above.
I hope this helps you know what a fair tow costs before you make the call. If you have a question about a towing bill you got, you can email me at costcheckr@gmail.com.
