[Adam9315]

I was thinking about what it'd be like to own a tow truck. What do you all think about this; is it a good business to go into? I was thinking about a standard tow truck, not for hauling big rigs. Or would hauling big rigs make me more money? What type would be the best to get into?

[hamboner]

Last I remember a decent rig big enought to tow class 8 trucks runs well into the $200,000 even used. Lots of upfront capital, but those guys do charge the heck out of ya!

[ceb]

I got out of The tow business because I hated laying down in the snow and rain. and no one wants to pay you for working your butt off

[brian]

personally i`d rather have the class 8 wrecker then the smaller ones but money can be made with both.

i`m in the market for one but first I need to find a truck and a driver to take over my current customers, don`t wanna lose their income.

[Birken Vogt]

Around here it is a pretty cutthroat business, and the income from a $400-800 dollar tow bill does not seem like much especially for such an expensive truck (class 8 tow) that sits around doing nothing most of the time. Around here it is rare for the class 8 rigs to go anywhere. It also seems like there are always some dirt bags in a super low budget, worn out, used tow rig trying to undercut you as much as possible before they go out of business themselves for lack of good sense and pricing strategy.

Birken

[ToxicWaste]

In towing, if you dont get in good on an insurance rotation, you're most likely waiting by the phone 24/7 for your $10,000 yellow pages ad to pay off. Also if you are thinking about opening an impound yard check with city ordinances before buying any equipment. Some cities are anti-tow yards.

[tracer]

Originally Posted by brian

personally i`d rather have the class 8 wrecker then the smaller ones but money can be made with both.

ZACKLIFT http://www.zacklift.com makes fifth-wheel attachments that can turn any highway tractor in a heavy duty truck. The thingie mounts on the fifth wheel and can be easily taken off - no drilling or welding. I emailed them and they said the 5th wheel unit costs around 23 grand plus another 6800 if you need a 20,000 lbs winch. They are based in Washington State. Lots of positive comments from customers are listed on their website. The truck should have long wheelbase though ... to take the full advantage of the system capabilities.

[tracer]

Originally Posted by ceb

I got out of The tow business because I hated laying down in the snow and rain. and no one wants to pay you for working your butt off

But how many calls do you have to make a day in a Class 8 heavy duty wrecker? I recently got stuck with a 53 ft trailer in a residential area (couldn't go around the corner without getting in a 10 ft ditch) and it took the tow guy with a century old International Class 8 tow truck MAXIMUM half an hour to hook the trailer with a winch and keep it steady so that the trailer doesn't flip over. He charged me $500 for 30 minutes of work. That's better what lawyers and dentists make - $1,000 an hour!

[ICS]

if you are looking into towing for 4 wheels I would rather get a flatbed than a tow vehicle. you can charge more and they are more versatile. learn how to do lock outs, tire changes and batteries. a friend of mine works with AAA and just has a work van be gets all the little stuff and makes a decent living just doing that.

[stormothecentury]

Originally Posted by tracer

But how many calls do you have to make a day in a Class 8 heavy duty wrecker? I recently got stuck with a 53 ft trailer in a residential area (couldn't go around the corner without getting in a 10 ft ditch) and it took the tow guy with a century old International Class 8 tow truck MAXIMUM half an hour to hook the trailer with a winch and keep it steady so that the trailer doesn't flip over. He charged me $500 for 30 minutes of work. That's better what lawyers and dentists make - $1,000 an hour!

Typically, they charge from the time they leave their yard til the time they get back.

I'm not defending that, I'm just sayin' it might not be $1000/hour. Maybe 4-500.