What Information Should You Give a Tow Truck Dispatcher?

The checklist

Read this before you call, or keep it open while you talk. If the vehicle is in a traffic lane or anyone is hurt, call 911 first.

1. Where the vehicle is

• On a street: the nearest lettered avenue and numbered street, with East or West (“Avenue J and 20th Street West”), or a full address that includes East or West.
• On the freeway: highway, direction, last exit number and name, and which shoulder.
• On a rural road: the highway and nearest cross street, or your GPS coordinates.
• In a parking lot: the business name, which side of the building, and the row.
• In a garage: the level, and the clearance height posted at the entrance.

2. The vehicle

• Year, make, model, color and license plate.
• Drivetrain: front-wheel, rear-wheel, all-wheel or four-wheel drive, hybrid or electric.
• Anything unusual: lowered or lifted, oversized tires, a body kit, a trailer hitch, a roof rack.
• Size: a heavy-duty pickup, dually, van or motor home needs a bigger truck.

3. Its condition

• Does it roll? Does it steer? Will it shift into neutral? Does the parking brake release?
• Do you have the keys?
• A flat or missing wheel, crash damage, leaking fluid or smoke.
• For an electric car: whether it powers on.

4. The situation

• Is it on a shoulder, in a lot, in a driveway or on dirt? Is it in a lane?
• How many people need a ride, and are there children, pets or anyone with medical or mobility needs?
• Will you be with the vehicle when the truck arrives?

5. Where it is going

• The business name, full address and phone number.
• Whether it is open when the truck will arrive, and if not, whether it takes after-hours drop-offs and where the keys go.
• For a home: a gate code, and whether there is room to unload.

6. How you are paying

• Your insurer’s roadside coverage, a motor club, a manufacturer roadside plan, or card or cash.
• Your name and a phone number that will stay on.

What you’ll be asked, and why

Question	Why it matters	Example answer
Where exactly is the vehicle?	Sends the truck to the right spot	Avenue K near 15th Street West, north side
Which way were you heading?	Each side of CA-14 is a separate road	Southbound, past exit 42, Avenue K
Year, make and model?	Size and weight decide the truck	2018 Ford F-150
Is it AWD, 4WD or electric?	Many need all four wheels off the ground	All-wheel-drive Subaru Outback
Does it roll and steer? Keys?	Decides dollies, wheel skates or winching	Rolls, steering locked, no keys
Is it in a traffic lane?	A lane means 911 first	Right shoulder, hazards on
Where is it going?	Sets the mileage and drop-off plan	Our mechanic, closes at 5, has a key drop
How many people are riding?	Cab space is limited	Me and one child
How are you paying?	Some plans bill directly, some reimburse	Insurance roadside, card for the rest

California law backs this up. Under Vehicle Code 22513, a tow company you call must record your name and phone number and the vehicle’s make, model, year and license plate before it arrives. Having them ready makes the call shorter.

How do you give a location in the Antelope Valley?

Lancaster, Palmdale and the county areas around them share one grid, and using it is the fastest way to be found.

• Lettered avenues run east–west. They start at Avenue A near the Kern County line and run south past Avenue S in Palmdale (Caltrans exit list).
• Numbered streets run north–south and are marked East or West. 10th Street West and 10th Street East are different roads. Always say which.
• Avenue addresses carry East or West too. The CHP Antelope Valley office, for example, is at 2041 West Avenue I.
• Some avenues have a number after the letter. The Quartz Hill library is at 5040 West Avenue M-2, which is not the same road as Avenue M. Give the full name.
• The mailing city can mislead. Lake Los Angeles addresses use a Palmdale mailing city and ZIP, and the Lake Los Angeles library is listed at 16921 E. Avenue O, Palmdale. Say the community name as well as the address.

On CA-14, give the direction (northbound toward Lancaster, southbound toward Palmdale and Santa Clarita), the last exit you passed by number and name, and any landmark. Lancaster’s exits run from 40, Avenue M, to 45, Avenue H. The Highway 14 breakdown guide has the full exit table.

On a rural road, give the highway and the nearest cross street, or read your GPS coordinates from your phone’s map app. The request form can attach your phone’s GPS location to a request.

Which details change the truck that comes?

These are the ones that most often decide between a wheel-lift and a flatbed:

• All-wheel drive, four-wheel drive and electric. Many manufacturers require all four wheels off the ground, on a flatbed or on dollies. See towing AWD vehicles.
• Rear-wheel or front-wheel drive. For a wheel-lift tow, AAA says to lift the drive wheels: front-wheel drive is lifted at the front, rear-wheel drive at the back.
• Low clearance. Lowered cars and body kits can be damaged by a wheel-lift.
• No keys or a locked wheel. The operator may need wheel skates or dollies.
• Crash damage or a missing wheel. Usually a flatbed job.

Questions to ask before you agree

• What is the total price? Ask what could change it: extra miles, waiting time, winching, dollies, or an after-hours call. The towing cost guide explains each item.
• Will I get a written estimate? If you are with the car, Vehicle Code 22513 requires a tow company you called to give you a written, itemized estimate before hooking up. It must list the company’s name, address, phone and motor carrier permit number, the truck’s plate, the operator’s name, and the cost of each service. You sign it and get a copy. Motor-club dispatches and law-enforcement tows are exempt.
• Roughly when will the truck arrive?
• What kind of truck is coming? Flatbed or wheel-lift, and dollies if needed.
• Can a passenger ride along, and how many? It depends on the truck’s cab and the provider.
• How can I pay? Vehicle Code 22651.07 gives you the right to an itemized invoice before you pay, and lets you pay towing or storage charges by cash, an insurer’s check or a valid bank credit card.
• What is the company’s name? So you know the right truck when it pulls up.