If your car breaks down and you don’t have another way to get home, you may be wondering if it’s safe to ride with the tow truck driver you call. After all, the driver is there to assist you, so why not? We’ll explore whether you can ride with a tow truck driver in this blog.
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How Much to Tip Your Tow Truck Driver: A Guide to Tipping Etiquette
Being stuck on the side of the road because of a vehicle breakdown or an accident can be incredibly stressful. When these situations arise, tow truck drivers come to your aid, assisting you in hauling your vehicle to safety. As a vehicle owner, you owe it to your tow truck driver to express your appreciation. So the debate remains whether you should tip your tow truck driver or not.
What’s Roadside Assistance Insurance?
When someone’s traveling along the freeway in a remote area with limited cell service the last thing they want to worry about is breaking down. In this scenario, you typically have two options. You can call a tow truck or try to address the problem yourself. Fortunately, this is where roadside assistance would come in handy.
In this article, we’ll discuss the benefits of roadside assistance coverage and how you can get it. Let’s get started!
Do I need physical damage insurance for my Atlanta tow truck business?
If you have a tow truck business, you’re probably wondering what kind of insurance you need to tow cars. Is just having auto liability insurance enough, or is there other insurance you need? One coverage that you might want to consider to protect your business’s bottom line is physical damage insurance. But what exactly is that, and why do you need it for your Atlanta tow truck business? We’ll explain what physical damage insurance is and why it’s important to think about when considering insurance for your business.
What is physical damage insurance?
Physical damage insurance is the coverage that can help you get your tow truck back on the road following an accident or another loss. Basically, if your tow truck gets smooshed, scratched, squashed, or otherwise damaged, your physical damage insurance helps with the repairs (or, in dire circumstances, replacement) of your vehicle.
The thing to keep in mind about tow truck insurance is that auto liability insurance won’t cover the repairs of your tow truck. If you’re at-fault in an accident, liability insurance pays for expenses like the other driver’s medical bills and car repairs – and it can help cover your legal expenses if you get sued over the accident. It protects the other driver…not your vehicle.
Bodily injury liability helps cover the other driver’s medical expenses. Property damage liability helps cover the repairs or replacement of the other driver’s car (or other property you might damage.)
Moving on, physical damage insurance consists of two parts: collision coverage and comprehensive coverage.
What is collision coverage?
Collision coverage helps you repair or replace your tow truck if you’re in an accident (or if you collide with something else, like a tree or telephone pole.)
For example:
You’re driving along on the way to help a driver whose car has broken down. On the way there, you accidentally run a red light and get into an accident. Fortunately, everyone is fine, but your tow truck is pretty smashed. Your collision coverage can help you cover the repairs.
What is comprehensive coverage?
Of course, getting into an accident isn’t the only way your tow truck could come to harm. If your truck is damaged by something other than an accident, comprehensive coverage helps you cover the repairs or replacement of the tow truck.
Covered losses can include…
- Fire
- Vandalism
- Animal strikes
- Falling objects (i.e. trees)
- Theft
To give an example, let’s say that you park your truck outside in the yard. You happen to be located in a spot that’s near a lot of trees. That night there’s a surprise storm that knocks down a bunch of the aforementioned trees…and a huge tree branch crash-lands right into your tow truck. Which now resembles a pancake. Comprehensive coverage can help you repair the truck and get it back on the road.
Why is physical damage insurance important?
So, here’s the deal:
If you run a tow truck business, you’re kind of dependent on, well, your tow trucks. You can’t have a tow truck business without vehicles. If something were to happen to one of your trucks – for example, you get into an accident that’s your fault or your truck gets stolen out of your yard – you would need to get that tow truck either repaired or replaced and back to work. You need all of your trucks operating to protect your bottom line and keep your business running smoothly.
The only problem is that tow trucks are expensive. That’s why having the proper coverage for your tow trucks is essential. Those trucks are a major investment, and physical damage insurance is a crucial part of protecting that investment. If you only carry auto liability insurance, you would not be financially protected if something happened to your tow truck – meaning that the repairs or replacement of your truck would fall on your shoulders.
So, that’s what physical damage insurance is and how it can protect your bottom line and your business’s finances. Collision insurance helps you repair or replace your tow truck if it’s damaged in an accident. Comprehensive insurance helps you repair or replace your tow truck if it’s damaged by a loss other than an accident, such as a fire, falling trees, animal strike, vandalism, and theft. When you’re getting Atlanta tow truck insurance, be sure to consider physical damage insurance for your business.
To get started with tow truck insurance quotes, fill out our online quote form or give us a call. We can help you get great tow truck insurance at a great rate by getting quotes from multiple insurance carriers.
How do I get Atlanta tow truck insurance quotes?
If you have a Georgia tow truck business, you’re probably wondering how to go about getting tow truck insurance. You know you need to get insurance, but you’re really not looking forward to it – there are a lot of tow truck insurance coverages to consider, and you’re worried that your insurance might be expensive. But first of all, what’s the best way to get quotes for tow truck insurance? We’re going to explain how to get Atlanta tow truck insurance quotes and why it’s so important for you to get multiple quotes.
How to get tow truck insurance quotes:
Are you a little worried that getting tow truck insurance quotes will be complicated or overwhelming? It doesn’t have to be – actually, it can be quite easy. We’ll explain how the quoting process works so you know what you’re getting yourself into.
1. You fill out our online quote form or give us a call.
The first step in getting tow truck insurance in Georgia is filling out our online quote form or giving us a call. This lets us know that you’re in the market for insurance. We have a team of tow truck insurance professionals who can help you get quotes for your insurance – you just have to reach out to us.
2. One of our agents asks a few quick questions.
So, the next thing that happens is that one of our agents will ask a few quick questions to gather some general information about your business. We need to ask these questions so that we can get you the most accurate quote possible. But don’t worry – we’ll be quick and we won’t take too much of your time. We know that you’re busy – you have a tow truck business to run, after all. We like to make insurance easy.
3. We go get your tow truck insurance quotes.
Next comes the fun part – we go to the various carriers that we work with to collect some tow truck insurance quotes for you. We have relationships with many different insurance companies, so we can get competitive quotes and help you get the quality coverage you need. (Shopping around for tow truck insurance quotes can help you save money on your rates, by the way.)
4. We come back with your quotes.
We’ll go over your quotes with you and present your options. We’ll help you finalize your coverage and get everything squared away so you can hit the road with peace of mind. Our goal is to help you get great tow truck insurance at a great rate.
5. We’re here to help you with any insurance-related questions.
You can reach out to us any time with questions or issues pertaining to your insurance. You don’t have to go it alone. We’re available by phone, email, and LiveChat so you can get in touch in whatever manner is most convenient for you. Need to add a truck to your policy? Sure! Need to make an adjustment to your driver list? Not a problem. We’re here to take care of any concerns in a timely manner and with great customer service.
Why is it important to get tow truck insurance quotes?
Maybe you’re wondering why it’s important to bother with this entire process. Perhaps it feels like a bit of rigmarole. You might just be looking to get a ballpark estimate. However, the issue with “ballpark” estimates is that they tend not to be terribly accurate. There are a lot of factors that affect tow truck insurance rates, so rates vary a lot from business to business. The reason is that insurance companies need to find out how much of a risk you would be to insure and how likely you are to file a claim.
For example, things like your drivers’ MVRs, speeding tickets, your claims history, your location, your tow trucks, your towing radius, and so on can affect your rates. Thus, not every business is going to have the same rates – all of these details can play a part in your premium. Besides, every business needs different coverages and a customized insurance plan. Tow truck insurance plans aren’t exactly one-size-fits-all. You can’t go by a ballpark number because that number might not accurately reflect your business’s insurance needs.
So, that’s how you can get Georgia tow truck insurance quotes and why it’s important to get those quotes in the first place. Like we mentioned, getting started with those quotes is easy – all you have to do is fill out our online quote form or give us a call.
What you need to know about Georgia tow truck insurance
If you work with tow trucks in Georgia, you know that there’s a lot of adventure that goes along with towing cars. Which is exactly why there’s tow truck insurance – when accidents happen or things go wrong, having the right insurance can really save the day. So, you know that you need to get tow truck insurance, but there are plenty of questions that go along with it. We’re going to tackle five common tow truck insurance questions to shed some light on the strange thing that is Georgia tow truck insurance.
Do I need tow truck insurance?
There are a variety of businesses that could benefit from tow truck insurance. Basically, if your line of work involves a tow truck or a wrecker, you’ll probably need to consider getting skilled insurance that includes specific coverages to protect your vehicle.
Businesses that might need Georgia tow truck insurance include (but are not limited to):
- Auto body shops
- Roadside assistance businesses
- Towing services
- Repo companies
What insurance coverages do I need to tow cars?
As you can imagine, there are plenty of business insurance coverages to consider to protect your towing business. Some of the coverages towing businesses get include…
- Auto liability insurance: Auto liability insurance can help cover your legal obligation to the other driver and their passengers if you’re at fault in an accident. It can help you if they decide to sue you.
- Bodily injury liability: This part of auto liability insurance can help you cover the medical expenses, pain and suffering, and lost wages of those that you injure in a car accident.
- Property damage liability: This part of auto liability insurance can help you cover the costs of repairing or replacing the property of others that you might damage in an accident – for example, the other driver’s car if you’re in an accident.
- Physical damage insurance: This coverage can help you get your tow truck back on the road ASAP if it gets damaged. (Liability insurance won’t cover damages to your own tow truck.)
- Collision insurance can help you repair or replace your tow truck if it’s damaged in an accident or if you otherwise collide with something.
- Comprehensive insurance can help you repair or replace your tow truck if it’s damaged by something other than an accident, such as fire, theft, vandalism, and falling objects (i.e. trees).
- On-hook/In-tow insurance: On-hook insurance can help protect you if one of your client’s cars is damaged while it’s attached to your tow truck.
- Garagekeepers insurance: Garagekeepers can help protect you if you ever have care, custody, or control of your clients’ cars (for example, if you ever have to store them on your premises.) Examples of covered losses include fire, theft, and vandalism.
- Garage liability insurance: Garage liability can protect you against claims of bodily injury or property damage arising from the day-to-day operation of your business and the services you provide.
- Wrongful repo insurance: Wrongful repo insurance can protect you if you accidentally manage to repossess a car that you’re not supposed to.
How much does tow truck insurance cost?
You’re probably wondering how much Georgia tow truck insurance costs. The thing is that tow truck insurance rates depend on a lot of different factors. Insurance companies look at a lot of details about your business because they want to know how much of a risk you are to insure. (Businesses who present more risk will probably have higher rates.)
Some of the details that affect tow truck insurance rates are…
- Your location
- How long you’ve been in business
- Your tow truck
- Loss history/Claims
- Tickets and traffic violations
- The kind of towing you do
- Your drivers and their MVRs
- Your towing radius
How can I save money on tow truck insurance?
Another thing that you might be wondering about is how to save money on Georgia tow truck insurance. It’s important to emphasize safety at your towing business – this will help you avoid claims and therefore save money on towing insurance. The following can help you save money on your premium:
1. Have written workplace safety policies to outline driver behavior and safety expectation.
2. Have a pre-trip vehicle inspection procedure.
3. Have a thorough hiring process and hire safe drivers.
4. Conduct regular safety meetings with your employees.
5. Don’t forget to ask about tow truck insurance discounts.
6. Raise your deductible if you’re financially comfortable doing so.
7. Avoid filing minor claims against your insurance.
8. Get multiple quotes for tow truck insurance.
How do I get Georgia tow truck insurance quotes?
It’s important to get multiple tow truck insurance quotes so you can compare coverages and pricing. But how does one go about doing that? We’ll explain our quoting process.
1. You fill out our online quote form or give us a call.
2. Our agent gets some details about your tow truck business.
3. We go shopping and get you competitive quotes from different carriers.
4. We go over your insurance options with you and you decide which policy will work for you. Then we help finalize your coverage.
5. We’re here to answer any questions you may have and to assist with any insurance-related queries you may have.
So, those are the answers to several important tow truck insurance questions. If you need tow truck insurance quotes, we would be happy to help. Our tow truck insurance professionals can help you get the business insurance coverage you need to protect your company from risks. We’re also pros at making insurance easy. To get started with your quotes, fill out our online quote form or give us a call today.
Four tips to choose the best tow truck company
In an emergency, how would you pick the best tow truck to help you?
Nobody ever plans on breaking down on the side of the road, do they? After all, who wants to get a flat tire? Run out of gas? Have a broken ball joint? Get into an accident? Nope, no one looks forward to having to call a tow truck. It might seem like they’ll never get there to rescue you. But when they do, there’s no sweeter sight in the world!
So, how do you go about choosing the best tow truck company? Well, first of all, it depends on why you need a tow truck in the first place.
1. Why do you want a vehicle towed?
Being stranded on the side of the road is only one reason to call a wrecker. There are a bunch of other situations in which a tow truck could come in handy.
For instance…
- Jump starts
- Running out of oil and needing an oil delivery
- Getting locked out of your car – oops
- Battery installation
- Flat tire
- Transporting a vehicle to another state
- Flatbed towing
- Equipment towing
- Off-road recovery
- Private property impounds
- Boat towing
- Motorcycle towing
- Heavy truck towing
Did you know that some tow truck and wrecker services specialize in a certain area? That’s why it’s important to choose the right company for the job. They’ll have the proper equipment and experience to help you out with your specific need.
For example…
- It’s 2 am and you run out of gas. You’ll need a 24-hr roadside assistance service.
- If you’re moving out of state but have more than one car to move, you’ll run into a bit of a problem because you can only drive one car at a time. But an interstate long-distance car carrier will be able to help you out!
- If you drive a semi-tractor trailer, you’ll need a company that moves heavy equipment.
- Someone has illegally parked their car or abandoned their car in your restaurant’s parking lot. You need to call an impound service.
How can you tell who specializes in what areas? You can look up the company’s website and check out their About or Services page for details. You can also call and speak to the dispatcher and they will let you know if they are equipped to assist you.
2. Choose your towing service wisely.
There are good guys and bad guys in every industry, and tow trucks are no exception. Thankfully, there are plenty of tow truck heroes out there to help us when we get stranded.
Our suggestion is to choose wisely. There are a few things you can do to help you narrow your search.
- Talk to family, friends, coworkers, and neighbors. They might have a suggestion for you if they’ve ever had a tow-truck-worthy mishap on the road.
- If you’re out of town, the local police department might be able to give you some recommendations.
- Look for reviews on sites like Yellowpages, Angieslist, Yelp, Google, and Yahoo. People just like you have used the towing service and left honest reviews of them on these websites. Take your time and read some reviews. You might want to focus only on 4 or 5-star customer service ratings.
- Pick an annual service so that you’re already set.
The last time you thought about hiring a tow truck was probably during an emergency or another mishap. If you wait until you face your next disaster to do some tow truck research, you’ll wind up having to decide under duress. So do the research and find a reliable tow truck operation now. Yes, it might take some time, but it’ll pay off the next time you’re faced with car troubles.
3. Consider the true cost of towing your vehicle.
Beware of choosing solely on price. We say this because while the majority of tow truck operators are reputable, nobody likes to overpay, do they?
No one wants to feel like they’ve been taken advantage of. Here’s something to be aware of – you have to consider both the hook-up fee and the price per mile.
Hook-up fees: The hook-up fee covers the cost of attaching your vehicle to the tow truck. Here’s the thing to watch for – some tow truck companies will offer a really cheap hook-up fee in order to get your business. Many people mistakenly assume this is the only fee they have to pay. But you also have to pay the…
Price per mile: Do you want your car towed around down the street to the nearest station or do you want it taken to your favorite mechanic many miles away? Or maybe you want the car brought all the way home. The point is that miles add up quickly when your car is being towed.
While some operators offer a cheaper hook-up fee, they often charge a higher price per mile to make up the difference. Take the time to find out the hook-up fee and the price per mile fee beforehand. Also, ask if there are any hidden or additional charges.
In case you’re wondering, Angieslist tells us that the average nationwide cost for a tow is $109.
What else could impact the cost, you might ask? There may be additional towing costs during nights, holidays, and weekends. If you’re stuck in a ditch, off road, or perhaps somewhere in the mountains, then be prepared to pay a little extra as these all require a lot more work and time to help you.
Also, don’t forget about tipping! If you’re wondering, do you tip a tow truck driver then refer to our blog.
4. How do they treat you over the phone?
Is the dispatcher knowledgeable and helpful about your problem? Remember that bad customer service on the phone is usually an indication of what’s to come once you hire them. Listen to your gut instinct and look for someone else to help you if you’ve got a bad feeling.
There you have it – four ways to help you choose the right towing company. We hope you’ve found this article on how to get the best tow truck service helpful! Although we hope that you never find yourself stranded on the side of the road, with these tips at least you’ll be prepared to find a reputable towing company.
Need insurance for your car, home, or life? Let us know – we can help you out! We’ll even get you a free quote if you fill out our quote form or give us a call today.