Especially if you haven’t had to call for a tow truck in a while, you might be surprised by how cheap a Brisbane towing service can be. Our prices start from just $99 and that includes pickup, drop-off and up to 15km of towing.
We believe in good, honest work and doing what we can to improve the image our industry has. As part of that, we’re going to set out exactly how our pricing structure works so you can see for yourself what it’ll cost ahead of time.
Below, you’ll also find an overview of the regulations around what a towing operator can charge for accident towing and private property towing. Although most services in Brisbane these days are honest, it’s a good idea to know your legal rights, just in case you come across one of the unsavoury few.
WeTow’s Brisbane Tow Truck Prices
Here’s a very straight-forward breakdown of exactly what our pricing model looks like for a regular car towing job. Note that if you have a larger vehicle or other special circumstances, this can influence the end price on a per-job basis.
No matter what, we can always give you a quote over the phone so you never have to worry about getting a rude shock once the job is done. You’ll know exactly what the service will cost before a truck has even been dispatched.
How we calculate our tow truck prices
- $99 up to and including the first 15km
- $3.30 per kilometre after that, up to a max of 200km
- For a tow of more than 200km, prices change to an hourly rate
The reason we work on an hourly rate after 200km is actually to keep the costs down. As you could imagine, the cost of a 300km tow would get out of hand otherwise!
What that pricing model looks like in real terms
| Tow Distance (Regular Car) | Cost |
|---|---|
| 15 km | $99.00 |
| 20 km | $115.50 |
| 30 km | $148.50 |
| 40 km | $181.50 |
| 50 km | $214.50 |
A few simple examples of this pricing structure in action around Brisbane
Sometimes it can be hard to judge exactly how far 15km is to get a realistic gauge of the tow truck price you can expect. Here are a few real-world examples of Brisbane suburbs to help put this in context for you.
Pickup: Anne St, Fortitude Valley
Dropoff: Boondall
Distance: 14km
Tow Truck Price: $99
Pickup: The Norman Hotel, Woolloongabba
Dropoff: The Hyperdome, Loganholme
Distance: 25km
Tow Truck Price: $132
Pickup: Graceville Train Station
Dropoff: Forest Lake
Distance: 14km
Tow Truck Price: $99
Pickup: Carindale Shopping Centre
Dropoff: Indooroopilly
Distance: 19km
Tow Truck Price: $112.20
Even though we do this every day, we still get surprised by how short the distance is between two suburbs sometimes. Carindale to Indooroopilly is not a short drive, yet it’s only 19km and $112!
The regulations you need to know around tow truck pricing
The Tow Truck Regulation 2009 sets out maximum charges that can be applied to a “standard tow” for both crash towing and towing from private property. These regulations apply to most of Queensland – a list of regulated areas below.
Failure to comply with these regulations can result in fines of around $700 to $7,000 for the tow truck operator if found guilty.
Crash Towing: Maximum regulated charges for a standard tow
- $382.35 for the first 50km
- $7.60 for every kilometre after that
Private Parking Towing: Maximum regulated charges for a standard tow
- $264.65 – release from holding yard
- $158.80 – onsite release of vehicle after its been secured to the tow truck
- $26.45 per day for storing a vehicle in a holding yard after being removed from private property
Callout fees and similar additional fees cannot be charged
In addition to the two sets of limitations above, towing services are also prohibited from tacking additional fees onto the price.
The above maximum fees must include the driver:
- Taking steps to locate the owner of the vehicle
- Travelling to the vehicle’s location
- Allowing the vehicle owner to access their vehicle in the holding yard (within business hours)
It also clearly states that the towing service cannot charge both the property and vehicle owners when towing from private property.
What the regulations consider to be a “standard tow”
Given the complex nature of some situations that require a tow truck and the added expense that comes with them, these regulations only apply to a “standard tow”.
They define a standard tow as:
- 60 minutes working time at a crash scene or private parking area (e.g. loading vehicle on tow truck, cleaning up broken glass and other debris)
- transportation of the crashed vehicle from the accident to the agreed destination
- transportation of the private property towed vehicle to the licence holders nearest holding yard
- 72 hours storage in holding yard (crash and private property towed vehicles).
Where these regulations apply
While these regulations were set out by the QLD Government, they don’t quite apply to the entire state. That said, virtually all of Brisbane is included.
The scheme operates in the following areas:
- The Shires of: Beaudesert, Boonah, Caboolture, Esk, Gatton, Kilcoy, Laidley, Maroochy, Noosa, Pine Rivers and Redland.
- The Cities of: Brisbane, Bundaberg, Cairns, Caloundra, Gold Coast, Hervey Bay, Ipswich, Logan, Mackay, Maryborough, Redcliffe, Rockhampton and Toowoomba.
- The areas made up of the parishes of:
- Clement and Hinchinbrook in the county of Gray
- Beor, Bohle, Coonambelah, Ettrick, Halifax, Hervey, Lansdowne, Magnetic, Margenta, Rokeby, Ross, Stuart and Wyoming in the county of Elphinstone.