Towing Carefully and Without Injuring Your Vehicle: Industry Tips

Many people are now aware of the various roadside assistance plans available to them, especially in the area of towing services. Arrangements offered by auto insurance providers, credit card companies, auto clubs and even some wireless service providers are now incorporating towing service coverage as an extra incentive for their members. If you are looking for a partner that offers the most helpful solution when it comes to towing services, there are several considerations you may need to make. The following are the most crucial questions you should ask yourself before choosing a plan for this reason:

How many tows do you get per year?

There are some plans that will offer a maximum of three tows a year while others merely offer one. If your plan simply offers one tow, it would be better not to pay the monthly membership fees and just pay for the towing service outright. Some plans also use total distance instead of a number of tows. In such a scenario, there is more wiggling room for you to squeeze a couple of tows out of your plan based on the distances you choose.

Are you covered when using other vehicles?

It goes without saying; anything can happen whether you are in your car, a rental or a friend's car. You want to know if your chosen plan covers you personally or your car specifically. If the plan covers you, then it does not matter whose vehicle needs towing. 

Can you include anyone in the coverage?

Some towing service providers advise people to choose a plan that incorporates spouses and children. This is typically the best scenario. The limitation with this is that you will have to cover only one specific vehicle. Whether it's your spouse or children that were driving, your car will still get the towing service offset by your plan provider. They, however, will not be covered if they were driving their respective cars, and you had registered them under your plan.

What is the maximum distance you can tow before being charged extra?

Finally, the downside with most plans is the maximum distances they offer. Some distances offered by some plans are too meager. Not many people will be fortunate enough to break down near their house or somewhere very close to their personal mechanic. You should consider this distance because you may have to pay for anything extra. If the distance is too small, it is probably cheaper to independently source for a tow truck and pay instead of sticking to a monthly plan for this reason.