1. If a vehicle is stranded at/near an address or intersection, just give the address and not directions. The tow guy will ask for clarification if unfamiliar to the site.
2. Don't assume the tow guy will be there in an hour and a half if he says 45 minutes. Barring any emergencies, he'll be there when he said.
3. Please make sure the car is accessible for towing; if it's blocked in by another vehicle, please clear the way before arriving. If there is going to be a problem getting to the car, let them know in advance; sometimes he needs a different truck or will need to schedule for a later pick up time. Additional note: If your car breaks down every other day and needs to be towed, please don't park it in weird locations where a tow truck can't go.
4. Please locate key to the vehicle BEFORE the truck pulls up to a house and if there are any other keys on the ring, please remove them.
4a. If keys are left for an unattended pickup (under the seat, under a floor mat), do NOT lock the car door! DUH!
5. Remove important stuff, i.e. baby car seat, CDs, beer cooler, schoolbooks, and/or anything else needed before the tow guy hooks up and starts to drive away.
6. If there are instructions to be given to a garage/mechanic, communicate with them directly or write out a note and leave it on the driver's seat. Sometimes telling a tow guy to pass the message on to the mechanic gets lost in the translation.
7. Don't assume the tow guy will take a check. Especially that he will take it if it starts with 101.
8. Please don't stand in the way giving hand signals unless requested.
9. Most tow trucks can only carry one or two passengers. If there are four people in a vehicle, make transportation arrangements for the overflow.
10. Please don't wait until the car is already hooked up to say you are part of a motor club. Informed upon requesting a tow; the tow guy may or may not be able to do the towing. ESPECIALLY, don't use the phrase "I have Triple-A"!
11. Don't call for a tow/jump start if you are going to continue to try to fix the car/get it started yourself. We just LOVE driving 10 miles out for a tow and as we pull in you're slamming the hood and saying, "Never mind, I got it started".
12. Don't expect the driver to make a diagnosis or repair. Our insurance company doesn't like it and neither does your mechanic.
13. Make sure all the parts that you took off while trying to fix it yourself are reinstalled properly before the care is haul off down the road.
14. Don't try to "help" by putting the car in neutral with the brakes off, the car will roll away into a house and it will be your fault.
15. If the phone number is not on the side of the truck, don't call and complain to the dispatcher, he/she will not listen. There is probably a reason the truck is sitting broadside in the middle of the hi-way with the annoying lights on with the cable strung across the road and hooked to that BMW so you can't get around. Yes, it is just to make you mad.
16. Don't tell the driver how to tow your car. He has probably done it a couple times more than you have.
17. In closing, when your friendly tow truck driver gets to your vehicle, remember that he is there to help and not piss you off. Please stand next to your vehicle with keys in hand and credit card or cash. Stand there quietly as the he performs his magic. If it is cold, ask to jump in the truck until the job is done, this will make both of your days much better and get you going much quicker.
