Blog · Collision
Free Towing From the Crash Site: How It Actually Works
If your vehicle cannot be driven after a wreck in Odessa, the tow to our shop costs you nothing. What to say on the call and what happens when it arrives.
The tow is the first bill after a wreck, and it is the one people are least prepared for. A vehicle that cannot be driven has to go somewhere, and where it goes decides whether you pay for one move or three. Here is how the tow works when you call us, and the mistakes to avoid on the side of the road.
The short version
If your vehicle cannot be driven after a collision, call (432) 220-3243 and tell us where it is. We will get it brought straight to our shop at 7033 W 24th St in Odessa, and the tow will not cost you anything. That is the whole offer. Call and tell us where the vehicle is.
Why "call the shop first" matters
When a vehicle gets towed off a crash site by whoever shows up, it usually goes to a storage yard. Storage yards charge by the day. Then the insurance company has to find it, an adjuster has to get to it, and eventually it gets towed again to a shop. By the time it is at the shop you have paid for two tows and a week of storage, and the repair has not started.
If it comes straight to us, the estimate happens the day it arrives and the claim starts the same day. One move, no yard, no daily charge.
What to say on the call
Keep it simple:
- Where the vehicle is. A street address, an intersection, or a mile marker if it is on a highway. If you are on a lease road, the name of the road and the nearest gate or lease sign.
- What it is. Year, make, model, color.
- Whether it rolls. A vehicle with four good tires that just will not start is an easy tow. One with a wheel folded under is a different kind of truck.
- Whether anything is leaking.
- Where the keys are.
Then stay with the vehicle if it is safe to do so, or tell us where you left it and where you are going.
What happens when it arrives
The vehicle goes into our lot and we photograph it exactly as it came off the truck, before anyone touches it. Those photos go into the file for the insurance claim. Then we do the estimate the same way we would if you had driven in: outside first, then the questions that tell us whether the structure moved.
If you have not filed the claim yet, that is fine. Call your carrier, give them our name and address, and we will send the estimate when the claim number comes through. If you have already filed, text us the claim number and we take it from there.
Things to avoid at the scene
- Do not let a tow driver pick the shop. A driver who says "I know a place" is usually being paid by that place. In Texas you choose the body shop, not the tow company and not the insurance company.
- Do not sign a blank tow authorization. Read what you are signing. If it names a storage yard, ask why.
- Do not leave the vehicle unlocked in a lot overnight with your belongings in it. Take your documents, your garage opener, and anything of value before it leaves.
- Do not drive a vehicle that is dragging a bumper or pulling hard to one side just to avoid a tow. The tow is free. A second collision is not.
Fleet vehicles
If a company truck goes down on a lease road, the same offer applies, and the call works better coming from the driver on the spot with the location than from the office an hour later. Give us the unit number if you have one, so the paperwork lines up with your fleet manager's records. There is more on how we handle fleet units in oilfield fleet collision repair.
If it is already at a yard
Call us anyway. We can arrange to get it moved from the yard to the shop and get the estimate written, and we will tell you exactly what you are looking at before any more money is spent on it. The sooner it moves, the fewer days of storage you pay for.
FAQ
Is the tow really free, or does it get added to the repair bill?
It is free. It is not a line on the estimate and it does not come out of your insurance settlement.
Do I have to have the repair done with you to get the free tow?
The tow brings the vehicle to our shop for an estimate. If you decide after the estimate that you do not want to proceed, talk to us; we would rather have that conversation than have you feel trapped.
What if the wreck is outside Odessa?
Tell us where it is. We serve Odessa, West Odessa, Midland and Ector County, and we will tell you straight on the phone whether we can get to it.
Can you tow a vehicle that is not drivable for a reason other than a wreck?
Call and ask. The offer is written around crash sites because that is where it matters most, but we will give you an honest answer for anything else.