When & How Much Should You Tip a Tow Truck Driver?

You need a trailer in case your truck breaks down while traveling. Do people actually give tips to tow truck operators? If so, what is the cost?  According to the circumstances, around half of people appear to leave a tip for the trailer driver between $5 and $20. $5 is a thoughtful gift. The trailer driver regards a tip of $20 as a decent one.

Do you Tip the Tow Truck Driver?

In short, the answer is yes. Tips for roadside assistance are not directly encouraged, but Trailer drivers or service providers always appreciate tips. Especially if they drive to help, or finish a particularly difficult job, or take pains. You may be trapped late at night or in a particularly busy place on the highway and need to tow as soon as possible.

At the same time, some jobs are regarded as standard jobs, such as changing tires or accepting jump start. Some drivers will tell you that the fee is enough and you may not need a tip. However, drivers or roadside rescue workers always have the opportunity to work at the minimum wage. The national average hourly wage for trailer drivers is $13.34 per hour. No matter what their salary is, or which company they work in, such as AAA, trailer drivers don’t expect to get tips.

Trailer operators are one of the least valued workers on the road. They went out in all kinds of weather to save the trapped driver from the unfortunate situation. They make it look simple.

When your car breaks down and you need to call a trailer, it is not always obvious whether you should tip the trailer driver. They usually don’t want to receive tips, but they are grateful.

You might want to have a rule of thumb for tipping, but unfortunately, No. About 50% of people tip for trailer service. Whether it suits you depends on your personal preferences and environment. You can consider tipping them to recognize their professionalism, or if the driver is beyond the scope of his duties.

When Do You Tip Roadside Rescuers?

Even for the smallest job, tipping drivers or roadside assistants is not a bad thing. As mentioned above, if the driver commutes long-distance from the headquarters, it is a good choice to tip them when another driver closer to you may help. Suppose you drive your car off-road and get stuck in a ditch on the side of the road. This is a difficult task for a trailer. When it comes to more time-consuming work, tipping is certainly welcome. If you think they are doing well under any circumstances, you can also tip them politely. The worst thing they can say is that they are not allowed to accept tips.

When Can’t You Tip Roadside Rescuers?

In some cases, trailer drivers or roadside assistants will not accept your tips. This is not because they don’t want it, but because it may be a company or an insurance company. Some roadside services are owned and funded by local or state municipalities. City or town employees usually have a rule that prohibits them from accepting any payment other than the service cost paid to them by the local government.

Another situation is that when you receive a trailer or assistance through an insurance company, you may not be able to tip. Car insurance has an additional clause that includes roadside assistance when your car stops. Your insurance company will tell you that you don’t have to leave a tip, but it may still be an option, depending on the driver who comes to help you.

When to Tip Roadside Rescuers?

The cost of trailers ranges from $75 to $125 (source). That’s a lot of money, so some people will hesitate to tip. But in some cases, tipping is absolutely appropriate.

You want them to look under the hood. Maybe it can save you some money

• The weather is terrible
• You’ve been blocked for a long time
• You need extra services, such as hitchhiking home
• According to what they told you, they arrived at the scene soon
• In case they are late, they will call to update you
• They are very careful with your car. It is not damaged
• They took safety into consideration
• He is very polite and will tell you what he is doing
• You are driving an expensive car. I hope he will be extra careful

How Much Should You Tip Them?

Let’s start with the cost of receiving the trailer itself. They usually charge by mile, together with a trailer usage fee or basic rate. The basic price can be between $35 and $100. They will charge between $2.50 and $5 per mile. The average cost of towing operations is $109. Because the cost is so high, some drivers may hesitate to pay a large tip. This is why drivers came up with this great rule of thumb.

For smaller jobs, such as changing tires or starting the car, you can tip them about $5. It is neither too much nor too little, which shows your appreciation for the excellent work done. For larger jobs, such as large trailers or late night services, tips ranging from $10 to $15 are fine. At this point, you actually want to give them a good hint, because they exceed you by $20 when towing your car, which is the maximum amount. But if you think they really do a good job, then this will be regarded as a good suggestion from the business community.

How Can Roadside Assistance be Linked to Car Insurance?

As mentioned above, automobile insurance companies provide insurance for road rescue. This can especially help you save the cost of being towed or repaired when parking on the road. These policies cover towing a certain distance before you have to pay for it yourself. You can set coverage and mileage limits in roadside assistance policies. Suppose you want $100 per towing accident, or up to 25 miles per towing accident. In this case, you will bear most of the traction costs. Finally, you don’t have to worry about the price rise after your car is towed away. Failure is a common part of vehicle ownership. This is why insurance companies offer roadside policies.

How Much Does It Cost to Tow a Car?

According to J.D.Power, you can expect to pay $2.50 to $7.00 per mile, with a national average total cost of $109. But there is no fixed quantity, and many factors determine the price. For example, this may depend on the distance of the repair shop, the degree of inconvenience, and the hazards or risks involved.

However, some insurance policies cover the cost of calling a trailer. You can tow the car away or replace the flat tire at no extra cost. If your policy does not include towing, and you do not have AAA or other company’s roadside assistance services, your fees may vary according to the following circumstances:

• Type of car you own
• Time of day
• If it is a weekend or holiday
• Terrain the vehicle must pass through
• Vehicle condition
• The type of car service you need
• If you need a few gallons of gas just because you run out of gas, you may spend more money to drive 40 miles.

Common Problems of Trailer Drivers

People usually have specific problems with trailer drivers. Here are some of the most common questions people ask.

• Did you give the key to the tow truck driver?

Yes, you should give the car key to your trailer driver. If you do not leave the key, your vehicle may not be able to be towed. This may unnecessarily prolong your bad day.

Why not? If necessary, the driver needs to operate the vehicle, lock the steering column in the straight ahead position, and then put the vehicle in neutral for traction. If you do not leave the key, the driver may need to break into your vehicle to adjust the steering, put it in neutral, and then release the parking brake.

The key can also be used as a proof of ownership to prevent the trailer company from unknowingly assisting in car theft! Some roadside assistance companies, such as AAA, will not tow the vehicle if you cannot provide the key.

If you are not beside the trailer when it arrives, please put the key in a hidden place. After hiding the key, be sure to tell the trailer driver where the key is. A typical hiding place is at the top of a tire or at the bottom of a nearby sign. Keep it simple!

• How does the trailer driver unlock the car?

If you lose your car key or the key is stolen, the trailer driver will help you. If you need lock-in services, they can help you. Although unlocking the car seems to require extraordinary skills, this is not the case. The fact is that almost anyone can “Jimmy” a car through practice and the right tools.

How can they unlock your car without a key? Although this depends on the situation and the type of car, they use a locking kit. The locking kit includes a prying wedge, air wedge, various plastic wedges, a slender Jim, a weather seal separator tool, Sali strip and a long distance tool. Generally speaking, wedge tools allow locking experts to insert Sali bars or long-distance tools for physically unlocking the car.

Usually, the trailer driver will select a suitable wedge for your car, insert it, and then unlock the door with a Sali strip or a long-distance tool. The driver may need to insert a tool into the door panel, obtain a replacement key, or break the window in rare cases.