Guides
Towing company quote template: fields and line items
Use this towing company quote template to capture call details, authorization, line-item charges, and account terms for retail and fleet work.
What to take away
- A roadside call and a commercial account need different quote sheets; the account version carries response terms, not a single hook price.
- Every line on the sheet should trace to a unit you already bill: hook, loaded mile, winch-out, storage day, fuel surcharge.
- Rates are yours to set. Licensing, permits, rotation-list terms and tax treatment are set by your state DOT, city licensing office and the IRS.
- Impound and recovery work needs its own authorization line, signed before the vehicle moves.
- A quote that cannot be reproduced by whoever answers the phone is not a template, it is a habit.
This article covers towing business operations, not recovery technique. For rigging, securement and scene safety, follow certified towing and recovery training and your state or provincial safety authority. For licensing, permit, insurance and contract questions, ask the issuing agency and a licensed attorney or accountant.
Roadside call or commercial account
A stranded motorist buys one thing: the vehicle moved, now, at a price they can hear over the phone. A commercial account buys response time, coverage area and paperwork that survives an audit. Quoting both from one sheet is how fleets end up subsidising retail calls.
Retail vs Account Quote Sheet
Retail call
- What is bought
- Vehicle moved now
- Sheet length
- Short, phone-readable
- Key lines
- Hook, miles, winch
- Risk
- Underpriced retail
Commercial account
- What is bought
- Response and coverage
- Sheet length
- Contract schedule
- Key lines
- Vehicles, window, cycle
- Risk
- Subsidised retail calls
The retail sheet is short. Hook fee, loaded miles, after-hours multiplier, winch-out if the vehicle is off the road, storage if it is not collected the same day. The customer can compare that against two other companies in a minute.
The account sheet is a contract schedule. It names the vehicles covered, the response window, the billing cycle and who signs for a release. Packaging services for accounts covers how those schedules are built and what belongs in each tier.
Template fields that carry weight
- Caller and payer.Note who is on scene and who gets the invoice. They are often different people, and the second one decides whether you get paid.
- Unit and condition.Year, make, model, whether it rolls, steers or is loaded. This sets the equipment you dispatch, not the price alone.
- Service type.Tow, recovery, jump start, lockout, tire change, fuel delivery, winch-out, impound, transport.
- Origin and destination.Street addresses with cross streets, plus loaded miles measured on the route you will actually drive.
- Access notes.Gate codes, low clearances, garage height, soft ground, whether a second unit is needed.
- Authorization.Signature, printed name, date, and the agreed cap on charges before the truck moves.
- Exclusions.What the quote does not cover, stated in one line rather than buried.
- Customer and payer:____
- Vehicle and condition:____
- Service, origin, and destination:____
- Access notes:____
- Hook fee:$____
- Loaded miles:____ × $____ per mile = $____
- Winch-out:____ × $____ = $____
- Storage:____ days × $____ per day = $____
- After-hours multiplier and charge:; $
- Fuel surcharge basis and charge:; $
- Other approved charges:____
- Quote total and agreed cap:$; $
- Authorization:signature ____; printed name ____; date ____
- Account schedule or retainer terms, if applicable:____
Keep the authorization separate from the estimate. An estimate tells the customer what to expect. An authorization is what lets you bill for work they approved. Whether a signature is required before a non-consensual tow, and what notice you must give, is set by your state or provincial authority, not by this page.
Template fields that carry weight
- Caller and payer are named
- Unit year, make, model, condition
- Service type selected
- Origin, destination, loaded miles
- Access notes and gate codes
- Authorization signed with cap
- Exclusions stated in one line
Pricing rows to build
| Line | Unit | What it covers | What to watch |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hook fee | Per call | Dispatch, arrival, first unit on scene | Should not be the whole price; it hides the drive |
| Loaded mile | Per mile | Distance with the vehicle on the truck | Empty miles are a cost, not a line |
| Winch-out | Per recovery | Off-road, ditch, embankment, rollover assist | Needs its own authorization before you start |
| Storage | Per day | Yard space after the tow | Publish the start time and the daily clock |
| After-hours | Multiplier | Nights, weekends, holidays | State the window, not the word "after hours" |
| Fuel surcharge | Percentage or per mile | Diesel movement | Tie it to a published index, not a feeling |
| Fleet retainer | Per month | Guaranteed response for an account | Define what "priority" means in minutes |
Two more rows belong on account sheets only: a minimum monthly volume or standby fee, and a late-payment term. Both protect cash flow when a fleet pays on 60 days. Pricing a call for a fair margin works through how each row feeds the rate.
Retail and account quote worksheet
Use the blank worksheet below to compare a retail quote with an account schedule for the same call. Enter your own approved rates; it is not a market-price example.
One call, two quotes
Retail
- Hook fee
- $X
- Loaded miles (12)
- 12 x $Y
- After-hours multiplier
- 1.5x
- Storage, first day
- Waived to midnight
- Total
- $X + 12Y, times 1.5
Account
- Hook fee
- $X
- Loaded miles (12)
- 12 x $Y
- After-hours multiplier
- Included in retainer
- Storage, first day
- Billed per schedule
- Total
- $X + 12Y
One call, two quotes
Retail
- Hook fee
- $X
- Loaded miles (12)
- 12 x $Y
- After-hours multiplier
- 1.5x
- Storage, first day
- Waived to midnight
- Total
- $X + 12Y, times 1.5
Account
- Hook fee
- $X
- Loaded miles (12)
- 12 x $Y
- After-hours multiplier
- Included in retainer
- Storage, first day
- Billed per schedule
- Total
- $X + 12Y
Fill X and Y with your own rates, then calculate each line and the total. Use the rates and retainer terms in the account schedule; do not assume an account quote is cheaper per call unless its actual terms show that.
Where quotes go wrong
A quote that loses to a cheaper one is usually priced on the hook alone. The competitor is not cheaper, they are billing lines you left off the sheet.
Unpaid fleet invoices are the second failure. A retainer with no late term is a free loan. Towing company profit margins and break even points shows how a 60-day payer changes the month.
The third is impound work quoted before the lien and notice rules are checked. Those rules vary by state and municipality. Confirm them with the issuing agency before you publish a storage rate.
Records and claims
Keep the quote, the authorization and the release together for each call. What kind of records should I keep? from the IRS sets out what supports income and expenses at tax time.
If you advertise a price, the claim has to be truthful and supported. The FTC's Advertising FAQs: A Guide for Small Business explains what that means for small operators.
For driver pay benchmarks by metro area, the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics tables are a starting reference, not a rate card.
Common questions
Should a quote ever be a single number?
Only for the simplest retail call, and only when the number covers the hook and the first few miles. Anything with recovery, storage or an unknown destination needs a cap and a signature instead.
How often should rates be reviewed?
Quarterly is common, because fuel and insurance move faster than the rest of the sheet. Review sooner if a line starts losing money on most calls.
What if the customer refuses to sign?
You can still tow where the law allows a non-consensual move, but the price becomes a posted rate rather than an agreed one. Check what your state or provincial authority requires you to publish.
Do commercial accounts need a different template?
Yes. They need response windows, coverage lists, billing cycles and late terms. The service packages worth offering sets out the tiers most fleets ask for.
