Hook fee + per-mile rates, before the truck shows up
| Tow Type | Hook-Up Fee | Per-Mile After Included Miles | Typical 40-Mile Bill |
|---|---|---|---|
| Light-duty (most cars) | $75 – $125 (incl. 5-7 mi) | $2.50 – $5.00 | $163 – $300 |
| Flatbed | $75 – $150 (incl. 5 mi) | $3.00 – $6.00 | $180 – $360 |
| Medium-duty | $150 – $300 | $5.00 – $10.00 | $350 – $700 |
| Heavy-duty (semi) | $350 – $700 | $10.00 – $35.00 | $750 – $2,100 |
| Motorcycle | $75 – $150 | $1.00 – $3.00 | $110 – $255 |
| Winching / off-road recovery | $50 – $100 hookup | $100 – $300 per hour | by time, not miles |
Typical national ranges; urban markets and impound-ordered tows sit at the high end. Long hauls (100+ miles) often drop to a $1.50-$3.00/mile flat rate for light-duty.
| Plan | Typical Annual Cost | Tow Coverage | Break-Even |
|---|---|---|---|
| Insurance roadside rider | $15 – $50 | ~5-25 miles | One short tow |
| Basic standalone (AAA Classic class) | $60 – $80 | ~7 miles | One short tow |
| Mid-tier (AAA Plus class) | $100 – $140 | 100 miles | One 40-mile tow (~$235) |
| Premium (AAA Premier class) | $130 – $180 | 200 mi first tow, 100 after | One 100-mile tow (~$443) |
Break-even compares the annual fee with a typical out-of-pocket bill at that distance. Automaker plans (Toyota Care, Hyundai, etc.) and many credit cards and phone plans include limited roadside coverage — check before buying twice.
Tow bills are refreshingly linear: a hook-up fee that usually includes the first handful of miles, a flat per-mile rate after that, and a short list of add-ons. This calculator makes each piece visible so a phone quote can't hide anything.
Total = hook-up fee + max(0, miles − included miles) × per-mile rate + after-hours surcharge + storage days × daily rate + winch hours × hourly rate. The effective per-mile figure (total ÷ miles) is what to compare against roadside plans, because short tows are dominated by the hook fee.
Pick your tow type — the fields prefill with typical national midpoints, and you can overwrite any of them with a quoted rate. Mileage is billable miles, door to door, not map-straight-line. If the car's in a yard already, count the days it might sit; storage at $20-$80 a day is how a $150 tow becomes a $500 problem.
Alternator dies 12 miles from home. Light-duty tow: $95 hook-up covering the first 5 miles, $4.50 a mile after. Bill = $95 + 7 × $4.50 = $126.50. Now stretch it: the same tow 40 miles out runs $95 + 35 × $4.50 = $252.50 at that rate (the $163-$300 table band reflects the market's $2.50-$5.00 rate spread). At 100 miles, most operators switch to long-haul pricing of roughly $1.50-$3.00 a mile plus the hook, landing at $250-$600 total.
The plan math writes itself. A mid-tier plan at $120 a year with 100-mile tows covers that 40-mile tow entirely; two tows in a household with drivers of differing luck, $470 worth of bills, and the plan still cost less than one of them.
Light-duty tows charge a hook-up fee of $75 to $125 (usually covering the first 5 to 7 miles) plus $2.50 to $5 per mile after that. Long-distance tows over about 100 miles often price at $1.50 to $3 per mile flat. Heavy-duty towing for semis runs $10 to $35 per mile on top of a $350 to $700 hook fee.
Typically $250 to $600 for a passenger car. Most companies either drop to a flat per-mile rate for long hauls (roughly $1.50-$3.00/mile) or keep the hook fee plus a lower per-mile charge. A 100-mile flatbed move is a different market — closer to car-shipping pricing if you can wait a day.
If you tow even once a year, the plan wins. A 40-mile tow bills around $235 out of pocket; a mid-tier plan with 100-mile coverage (AAA Plus class) runs roughly $100 to $140 a year. Insurance-add-on roadside coverage at $15 to $50 a year is the cheapest option, though claims handling varies by carrier.
The big add-ons: after-hours or weekend service ($25-$50), winching a car out of a ditch or off-road ($100-$300 per hour plus hookup), storage once the car sits in the yard ($20-$80 per day), and dollies or extra labor for a car that won't roll or steer. Ask for the out-the-door total before the truck rolls.
Heavy-duty recovery is a different business: $350 to $700 for the hook-up and $10 to $35 per mile, so a 60-mile tow of a loaded tractor-trailer can run $1,700 or more. Recovery after a rollover adds winching and rigging time at $100-$300 per hour on top.
Only if you added roadside assistance or a towing rider, typically $15 to $50 a year — standard liability and comprehensive don't include it. Some carriers treat roadside claims gently, others log every call; if yours surcharges, a standalone plan like AAA keeps claims off your insurance record entirely.