Frequently Asked Questions - Auto Towing in Sacramento

This post lists down the most frequently asked questions we get from our customers, clients, and towing franchisees about our services. In no particular order, we provide answers to the most common questions we get in emails, phone calls, and in person, from our clients themselves.

What type of information do I need to give my employees about drugs and drug testing?

Employers must display and distribute the following information to their employees:

  • company policy regarding the use of prohibited drugs and/or alcohol.
  • consequences or disciplinary action that may be imposed for violating the drug policy.
  • informational material on the physical and mental effects of drugs.
  • an existing community services hotline number, available drug counselling, rehabilitation, and assistance program.

How does a vehicle owner or custodian know who authorized the tow?

If the tow is done by a written agreement, the tow truck service must disclose the name of the business or person who authorized the tow.

Who decides when a vehicle should be towed?

Removal of trespassing vehicles from private property may be done by verbal request or by written agreement between the private property owner and a tow truck service.
If the vehicle is towed by verbal request of the property owner, the call to the tow truck service must be made by someone who is physically on the premises.
If a written agreement exists, the property owner may designate a tow truck service to monitor the lot and remove any vehicle which meets the definition of trespassing as defined in the written agreement.

I have a Ford Ka and want to tow my small trailer but nobody lists a towbar. Can I have one specially manufactured?

No. When EC Type Approving the vehicle, the manufacturer did not declare that it was suitable for towing. It, therefore, has no specified towing capacity and no specified mounting points. Towing with, or even the fitment of a towbar to any such vehicle registered on or after the 1st August 1998 would make you liable to prosecution.

Can I fit a Type Approved towbar myself or do I have to go to an authorized dealer?

Yes. You can fit the towbar yourself provided that it is installed in accordance with the instructions provided, but you may prefer a specialist to carry out the installation to include the often awkward towing electrics.

Where are the electrics wired to?

In most cars, the electrics are wired directly to the vehicle’s rear lights.

How can I tell if a towbar is EC Type Approved?

It will have a label, data plate or stamping showing an “E” No e.g. E11*0001*00. This figure denotes that it is EC Approved in the UK (E11), has an approval number (0001), of EC Document revision 0.

I am towing a small trailer for my jet ski, what type of electrics will I need?

You will require single electrics in order to power the normal tail/side lights, indicator, brake and fog lights.

When would you require double electrics?

Double electrics are needed when towing a caravan to supply power to the fridge and battery as well as taking a 12v feed into the caravan for interior lights etc. A split charge relay can also be added to double electrics to prevent your car battery being drained by your caravan.

My local motor dealer says that my warranty will be invalidated unless I fit the manufacturer’s towbar.

94/20/EC was designed to create free trade. If you fit a Type Approved towbar it will not invalidate the vehicle warranty. Under EC Block Exemption rules, a motor vehicle manufacturer cannot prevent a franchised outlet from supplying or fitting components deemed to be of equal quality to that supplied by the vehicle manufacturer – such as a Type Approved towbar.

Do you tow to all areas in Sacramento? 

Absolutely. We’ve expanded our towing services to make sure that we’re able to reach every corner of Sacramento. So far, we’ve provided services to our clients in Antelope, Arden Arcade, Carmichael, Citrus Heights, Davis, El Dorado Hills, Elk Grove, Fair Oaks, Folsom, Laguna, North Highlands, Parkway, Rancho Cordova, Rocklin, Roseville, and Woodland.

What are the different towing services you provide?

We have a varied list of services, including auto towing (for light, medium, and heavy duty towing), out of gas services, roadside assistance, emergency towing, car battery replacement, car lockout, wrecker service, jumpstart services, flatbed towing, and flat tire change.

What are your operating hours?

We are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, all year long. Yes, that means we’re available on all weekends and holidays of the year, even on non-working holidays. That means our hotline never goes dead and a customer service representative is always available to take your call.

How fast can you get to a stranded customer calling from an obscure location? Do you have a standard ETA for all clients?

As part of company policy, we do not have a standard ETA for our customers calling within the Sacramento area. Aside from practical reasons, it’s also because we don’t like making promises we can’t keep. Every service we provide will be unique to the situation, such as a client’s location, time of day the client is calling, the conditions the client is in (such as if he/she is in dire need of first aid or assistance in case of major crashes and emergencies) and other contingencies. We do, however, provide an ETA after we’ve talked to the client via phone after he/she answers the basic questions and we are able to come up with a preliminary assessment.

I’ve never heard of the term ‘roadside assistance’ before. What exactly does it mean, and how different is it from ‘towing services’?

Strictly speaking, ‘roadside assistance’ is an umbrella term used by towing companies to refer to all kinds of services provided to customers who are stranded or stuck on the road, hence the name. The term is more often used than the specific service required by a client, because more often than not the service required is unique to that client’s situation, and a towing company is mandated to provide said service under any circumstance and since the towing company is, in this case, considered a first responder.

Common roadside assistance services provided to customers include spare tire replacement, car battery replacement, jumpstarting, car lock picking, key duplication and replacement, gas refilling, and so on.

Towing services are technical, a form of roadside assistance, but in order not to confuse customers the term ‘towing services’ is used to differentiate it from other forms of roadside assistance, since towing companies also offer an array of towing services catering to different types of vehicles, which is usually based on that vehicles make, model, dimensions, or weight.

What are your accepted modes of payment?

We accept both cash and credit card, but in US currency only. We don’t accept payment by installment, unfortunately. Also, we’ve had calls from foreign clients before, and we’d had to charge international credit cards in US currency.