Whenever you need a tow or wheel change, a reliable roadside assistant is always on the scene to help you. As they bid you farewell, you may think, “Wow, they did an awesome and efficient job. I wonder how much I should tip them.”
You may also wonder if you can tip roadside assistance services like a tow truck driver. The opinions on whether or not you’re supposed to aren’t consistent. Let us clear it up for you. Do you tip tow truck Drivers?
Do You Tip Tow Truck Drivers?
The short answer is yes. Tips for roadside assistance aren’t directly encouraged. However, a tow truck driver or someone providing a service will always appreciate a tip.
Especially if they drove over to help complete a demanding job or went out of their way. You may have gotten stuck late at night or on a bustling part of the highway, needing a tow as soon as possible.
At the same time, some jobs are considered standard, like changing a tire or receiving a jumpstart. Some drivers will tell you the cost is enough, and a tip may not be necessary.
However, there’s always the chance that the driver or roadside assistance is working on minimum wage. The national average for tow truck drivers' hourly wage is $13.34. Regardless of how much they’re paid or what company they work for, like AAA, tow truck drivers don’t expect tips.
When do You Tip Roadside Assistance for Services Like a Tow?
Even for the most minor jobs, offering the driver or roadside assistant a tip is always right. If the driver took a long commute from headquarters, it would be an excellent call to tip them for going out of their way when it could’ve been another driver closer to you who helped.
Say you ran your car off-road and stuck it in a roadside ditch. That would be a big job for a tow truck. Tipping is customary when it comes to the more time-consuming jobs. Suppose you feel they did an excellent job regardless of the circumstances. In that case, you may also offer them a tip as a courtesy. The worst thing they can say is that they need to be allowed to accept tips.
When Won’t Tow Truck Drivers Accept a Tip?
There are instances where a tow truck driver or roadside assistant will not accept your tip. This isn’t because they don’t want it, but because it may be a company or insurance practice.
Some roadside services are owned and financed by the local or state municipality. City or town employees typically have a rule preventing them from accepting any money outside of the service cost the local government pays them for.
Another instance where you may need help to tip is when you’ve received a tow or assistance through your insurance company. Car insurance has an add-on that covers roadside assistance if your car comes to a standstill.
Your insurance providers 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.
How Much Should You Tip a Tow Truck Driver?
Let’s start with the cost of receiving a tow itself. They typically charge by the mile along with a tow truck use fee or base rate. This base rate can be anywhere from $35 to $100. They’ll charge between $2.50 to $5 for every mile traveled.
The average cost of a tow job is $109. With such a significant fee, some drivers may hesitate to tip a lot. That’s why drivers have come up with this great rule of thumb.
You may tip them around five dollars for smaller jobs, such as switching out a tire or jumpstarting your car. It’s not too much or too little and shows your appreciation for a well-done job.
For bigger jobs, like big towing runs or a late-night service, a tip anywhere from $10 to $15 will do. You would want to give them a good tip because they went above and beyond in towing your car. $20 is the maximum amount, but if you feel they did a stellar job, that is a good tip in the business world.
What is the Connection Between Roadside Assistance and Car Insurance Policies?
Car insurance companies offer coverage for roadside assistance services. This can help you save on having your car towed or serviced while stuck on the road.
These policies cover a certain towing distance before you would have to pay on your own. You can put coverage and mileage limits on a roadside assistance policy.
Say you want to have $100 or up to 25 miles per towing incident. You would be covered for most of the towing costs in this case.
You won’t have to worry about increasing rates after having your car towed. Breakdowns are a regular part of vehicle ownership. That’s why insurance companies offer roadside policies.
Essential Factors When Tipping Tow Truck Drivers
Nothing wrong can come from offering a tip to a roadside assistant.
Regarding cost, the employer will pay the driver their rate for the job, which may also include commission. A tip would go directly to them.
To review, the only things to keep in mind when tipping a tow truck driver is:
- The job they completed - The value of your tip is heavily determined by how stuck your car was. If it needed something as small as a jump start, then it’s worthy of a five-dollar tip. Tows and any bigger job deserve a tip of at least $10.
- Ten percent of the bill - A standard practice for calculating tips is taking ten percent of the service’s total cost.
- The worst they could say is no - Government-run roadside services prohibit tipping their employees. This is the case for tow truck drivers.
- Conditions wherein the job is completed - A nighttime tow takes more effort than a daytime one. Say that it’s raining or snowing, or worse, there is a storm. Remember to tip the driver handsomely for braving inclement weather and conditions.
We hope we answered the question, “Do you tip tow truck drivers?”. For more information on roadside assistance, please read our blog or get free cheap car insurance quotes online today!
