Towing Company & Tow Truck Insurance in California
Protect your towing operation, tow trucks, drivers, customer vehicles, equipment, and storage exposures with commercial insurance designed around towing businesses.
Towing companies face risks that go far beyond ordinary commercial auto. Your business may be responsible for operating heavy commercial vehicles, towing customer automobiles, storing vehicles, performing roadside service, and sending employees into high-traffic roadside environments.
JSSR Insurance Agency helps eligible California towing businesses explore insurance options for commercial auto liability, physical damage, on-hook towing, garagekeepers, general liability, workers' compensation, commercial umbrella, and other available coverages.
Insurance Built Around the Risks of a Towing Business
A towing company can have several exposures operating at the same time. You have commercial vehicles traveling public roads, drivers working alongside traffic, customer vehicles being transported, expensive towing equipment, and potentially customer vehicles stored at your premises.
Because of these exposures, towing insurance should be built around how your company actually operates rather than treated like a basic commercial auto policy.
Insurance Coverage Options for Towing Companies
Commercial Auto Liability
Helps protect against certain covered bodily injury or property damage liability claims resulting from the operation of insured commercial vehicles.
On-Hook Towing Coverage
May help protect qualifying customer vehicles against certain covered physical damage losses while they are being towed or transported by an insured tow truck.
Garagekeepers Coverage
May help address certain covered physical damage exposures involving customer vehicles left in the towing company's care, custody, or control, subject to policy terms.
Tow Truck Physical Damage
Collision and comprehensive coverage may help protect eligible insured tow trucks against qualifying physical damage losses.
General Liability
Helps address certain third-party bodily injury and property damage claims arising from covered business operations outside of auto liability.
Workers' Compensation
Helps provide benefits for eligible employee work-related injuries and occupational illnesses, subject to California requirements and policy terms.
Commercial Property
May help protect qualifying office, building, business personal property, tools, equipment, and other covered assets.
Commercial Umbrella
May provide additional liability limits above certain qualifying underlying policies, subject to umbrella policy requirements.
Other Specialized Coverage
Depending on the operation, additional insurance options may be appropriate for equipment, property, crime, cyber, or other exposures.
What Is On-Hook Towing Insurance?
One of the most important exposures for a towing company is the vehicle being transported.
On-hook towing coverage may help protect an eligible customer's vehicle against certain covered physical damage while it is being towed or transported by your insured tow truck.
Why On-Hook Coverage Matters
- Customer vehicles may have substantial values
- Damage can occur during loading or unloading
- A vehicle may be damaged during transport
- Tow equipment failure can create exposure
- Accidents may involve both the tow truck and towed vehicle
Review Your Policy For
- On-hook coverage limits
- Deductibles
- Covered causes of loss
- Vehicle-value limitations
- Applicable exclusions
- Territory or operating restrictions
Garagekeepers Coverage for Stored Customer Vehicles
If your towing company stores customer vehicles at a yard, garage, or other business location, you may have an additional care, custody, or control exposure.
Garagekeepers coverage may help protect against certain covered physical damage losses to qualifying customer vehicles while they are left in your business's care, custody, or control.
The appropriate limits may depend on the number and value of vehicles that could be stored at your location at one time.
Commercial Auto Insurance for Tow Trucks
Tow trucks are the foundation of most towing businesses. They may operate throughout the day and night, travel substantial mileage, enter busy highways, and perform work in difficult roadside environments.
A towing commercial auto policy may include available coverage such as:
- Commercial auto liability
- Collision coverage
- Comprehensive coverage
- Uninsured and underinsured motorist options
- Medical payments or other available options
- Hired auto coverage when applicable
- Other carrier-specific commercial auto options
Tow Truck Types & Operations Matter to Underwriters
Insurance carriers may evaluate tow trucks differently based on vehicle type, weight, use, value, operating radius, and the vehicles being transported.
Driver Eligibility Is Critical for Towing Insurance
Driver history can have a major effect on towing insurance eligibility and pricing. A towing company should review driver qualifications before allowing an employee to regularly operate a tow truck.
Carriers May Review
- Driver age
- License class
- Driving experience
- Tow truck experience
- Motor vehicle records
- Accidents
- Moving violations
- Major driving violations
Good Driver Management Practices
- Review MVRs before hiring
- Confirm appropriate licensing
- Document driver experience
- Maintain written safety procedures
- Review accidents and violations
- Provide towing-equipment training
- Maintain driver qualification records
Roadside Assistance Creates Unique Liability & Employee Risks
Towing employees frequently work on highway shoulders, busy streets, parking lots, accident scenes, and other locations near moving traffic.
Operations may include:
- Vehicle towing
- Jump starts
- Tire changes
- Vehicle lockout assistance
- Fuel delivery
- Vehicle recovery
- Accident-scene towing
- Other roadside assistance services
These operations can create commercial auto, general liability, workers' compensation, and other exposures that should be accurately disclosed to the insurer.
Workers' Compensation for Towing Company Employees
Tow truck drivers can face significant workplace hazards. Employees may work next to moving traffic, handle heavy equipment, load disabled vehicles, work in poor weather, and respond to accidents at night.
Roadside Exposure
Employees may work only feet away from moving traffic while loading or servicing vehicles.
Equipment & Lifting
Chains, cables, winches, dollies, towing equipment, and vehicle recovery can create workplace injury exposures.
Payroll & Classification
Accurate payroll and employee job classifications are important for workers' compensation underwriting and audits.
General Liability Insurance for Towing Companies
Commercial auto liability addresses vehicle-related liability, but a towing business can also have non-auto liability exposures.
General liability insurance may help address certain covered third-party bodily injury or property damage claims arising from qualifying business operations.
Your towing insurance program should clearly distinguish between auto, on-hook, garagekeepers, premises, and other liability exposures.
Commercial Umbrella Insurance for Towing Companies
Serious commercial vehicle accidents can potentially result in claims that exceed underlying liability limits. Towing companies with larger fleets, higher-hazard operations, or contractual requirements may want to evaluate commercial umbrella or excess liability insurance.
Umbrella coverage may provide additional liability limits above certain qualifying underlying policies, subject to the umbrella policy's terms, exclusions, and required underlying limits.
Towing & Roadside Businesses We Help Review
Tow Truck Insurance for New Towing Businesses
Starting a towing company can involve significant upfront investment in vehicles, equipment, licensing, storage, and insurance.
Insurance options may be available for qualifying new towing ventures. Underwriters may review the owner's commercial driving experience, towing experience, driver history, truck types, operating radius, business plan, storage operations, and expected revenue.
What Affects Tow Truck Insurance Cost in California?
There is no single price for towing company insurance. Carriers evaluate the characteristics and loss exposure of each towing operation.
Number of Tow Trucks
Fleet size, truck type, age, value, and physical damage coverage affect insurance pricing.
Driver Records
Driver experience, accidents, violations, and MVR history can significantly affect eligibility and premium.
Operating Radius
Local operations and businesses traveling longer distances may present different underwriting exposures.
Type of Towing
Light-, medium-, and heavy-duty towing may have different underwriting characteristics.
On-Hook Limits
The value and types of customer vehicles transported may affect required on-hook limits and pricing.
Storage Exposure
The number and value of customer vehicles stored at your premises may affect garagekeepers coverage.
Loss History
Prior auto, on-hook, garagekeepers, liability, and workers' compensation claims may affect underwriting.
Years in Business
Business and industry experience may be considered during underwriting.
Coverage Limits
Liability limits, physical damage, deductibles, on-hook limits, and other coverage selections affect premium.
What Do I Need for a Towing Company Insurance Quote?
Business Information
- Legal business name
- Business address
- Years in business
- Years of towing experience
- Annual gross revenue
- Annual payroll
- Description of towing operations
- Operating radius
- Current insurance information
- Loss history
Vehicle & Driver Information
- VIN for each tow truck
- Year, make, and model
- Truck type
- Vehicle value
- Driver names
- Driver license information
- Driver experience
- Motor vehicle records
- Requested on-hook limits
- Storage and garagekeepers information
How to Get Towing Company Insurance
Tell Us About Your Operation
Share your towing experience, trucks, drivers, radius, revenue, storage, and services.
Review Your Exposures
Review tow trucks, customer vehicles, drivers, roadside operations, equipment, and storage.
Review Coverage Needs
Evaluate auto liability, physical damage, on-hook, garagekeepers, workers' comp, and other options.
Compare Available Options
Review available carrier options, limits, deductibles, terms, and pricing.
Why Towing Companies Choose JSSR Insurance Agency
Commercial Auto Experience
We understand that towing businesses require more than basic commercial auto and can have specialized customer-vehicle and operational exposures.
Multiple Carrier Options
As an independent agency, JSSR helps eligible towing companies explore available options from multiple insurance markets.
Responsive Commercial Service
Get assistance with certificates, endorsements, vehicle changes, driver changes, renewals, and other commercial policy servicing needs.
Towing Company Insurance Near Lathrop & Across California
JSSR Insurance Agency is located in Lathrop, California and helps eligible towing and roadside-assistance businesses throughout San Joaquin County, the Central Valley, Tri-Valley, Bay Area, Sacramento region, and other California communities.
If you're searching for towing company insurance near me, tow truck insurance near me, or commercial tow truck insurance in California, contact JSSR Insurance Agency to explore available coverage options.
Don't see your city listed? JSSR Insurance Agency serves eligible towing businesses throughout California.
Related Insurance for Towing Companies
A towing insurance program can involve several types of commercial coverage. Explore these related JSSR Insurance Agency resources:
California Towing Company Insurance FAQs
What insurance does a towing company need in California?
Coverage needs vary, but towing companies commonly review commercial auto liability, tow truck physical damage, on-hook towing coverage, garagekeepers coverage, general liability, workers' compensation, commercial property, umbrella liability, and other specialized coverage based on their operations.
What is on-hook towing insurance?
On-hook towing coverage may help protect a qualifying customer's vehicle against certain covered physical damage while the vehicle is being towed or transported by an insured tow truck. Coverage depends on policy limits, deductibles, exclusions, and other terms.
What is garagekeepers insurance for a towing company?
Garagekeepers coverage may help address certain covered physical damage losses involving qualifying customer vehicles while they are in the towing company's care, custody, or control, such as vehicles stored at an insured location. Coverage terms vary by policy.
Is on-hook coverage the same as garagekeepers coverage?
No. They address different exposures. On-hook coverage generally relates to customer vehicles while being towed or transported, while garagekeepers coverage may apply to qualifying customer vehicles in the business's care, custody, or control at an insured location. Actual coverage depends on policy terms.
How much does tow truck insurance cost in California?
Premium depends on factors such as tow truck type and value, number of vehicles, drivers, MVRs, towing operations, operating radius, on-hook limits, storage exposure, claims history, coverage limits, deductibles, and carrier underwriting.
Can a new towing company get insurance?
Insurance options may be available for qualifying new towing businesses. Carriers may review the owner's towing and commercial driving experience, driver history, tow truck types, operations, radius, storage exposure, and other underwriting information.
Does towing insurance cover the customer's vehicle?
A customer's vehicle may require specialized coverage such as on-hook towing or garagekeepers coverage depending on whether it is being transported or stored. Do not assume standard commercial auto physical damage covers customer vehicles.
Can roadside assistance companies get towing insurance?
Insurance options may be available for qualifying roadside assistance businesses. The insurer should know whether operations include towing, jump starts, tire changes, lockouts, fuel delivery, vehicle recovery, or other services.
Can JSSR help insure multiple tow trucks?
JSSR Insurance Agency can help eligible California towing businesses explore commercial insurance options for multiple tow trucks and drivers. Availability and pricing depend on the fleet, drivers, operations, loss history, and carrier underwriting.
How do I get a towing company insurance quote?
Call JSSR Insurance Agency at (209) 701-6900 or submit an online quote request. Having your tow truck information, driver information, operating radius, business experience, revenue, payroll, requested on-hook limits, storage information, current insurance, and loss history available can help streamline the quoting process.
Protect Your Towing Business Before the Next Call Comes In
Your tow trucks are on the road every day, your drivers work around traffic, and your company may be responsible for valuable customer vehicles. The right insurance program should reflect those exposures.
Whether you're starting a new towing company, adding another tow truck, hiring drivers, expanding your service area, or reviewing an upcoming renewal, JSSR Insurance Agency can help you explore available towing insurance options.
JSSR Insurance Agency
16201 S Harlan Rd, Lathrop, CA 95330
(209) 701-6900
JSSR Insurance Agency is an independent insurance agency representing multiple insurance carriers. Coverage availability, eligibility, pricing, limits, and terms vary by carrier and are subject to underwriting. This page is for general informational purposes and does not modify, extend, or guarantee insurance coverage.
