Overview
Towing quotes are sold by distance, time of day, and the kind of bed the truck has
Towing is one of the few automotive trades where the customer is making a decision in the worst moment of their week. Broken down on a hard shoulder, locked-out of an underground car park, just had a fender bender. They want a price and a time. The cost on the truck's side is per kilometre, per hour for the recovery time, and a multiplier for after-hours work. The truck type matters: a flat-bed for a low-clearance sports car or an EV is not a hook tow, and a heavy recovery for a stuck delivery van is not a domestic call-out. A flat 'tow' quote at a single number is a quote that loses money on every long-distance recovery.
QuoteGenio gives towing contractors a quoting shape that fits the urgency. Call-out by time band (in-hours, out-of-hours, public holiday), distance at a per-kilometre rate, recovery labour for winching or rolling-onto-the-bed, truck class (light hook, flat-bed, heavy recovery), storage fees if the vehicle stays in the yard, and any waiting time at the scene. Send via WhatsApp to the customer from the cab, take card payment on completion when the customer is the payer, raise an account invoice when the work is for an insurer or roadside assistance partner, and the final invoice ties to the actual distance recorded.
Who it is for
Who uses QuoteGenio
Built for towing operators handling roadside recovery, accident scenes, and storage yards.
The problem
The quoting headaches every towing operator knows
Recovery happens in the rain, at 2am, on the side of a freeway. The last thing you need is a paper-and-pen quoting process when the customer is stressed and the police are clearing the lane.
No time to write a quote on-scene
Between the customer, the police, and the recovery, you can't sit in the cab typing up paperwork.
Verbal price disputes at drop-off
Without a written quote, the customer argues every line on the invoice when the car arrives at the yard.
Insurance claims delayed by paperwork
Insurers reject claims with handwritten quotes. Clean, itemised paperwork pays out faster.
The fix
QuoteGenio makes it simple
A workflow built for the cab of the truck. Quote distance, recovery type, and storage in seconds, send via WhatsApp, and lock in the price before the strop comes out.
The payoff
What you get with QuoteGenio
The everyday wins that add up across a year of quoting and invoicing.
Built for towing work
Line items for call-out, per-km tow, recovery type, winch time, and storage. Everything an insurer expects to see.
Works from the truck
No laptop needed. Build, send, accept, and invoice from the cab of your tow truck on-scene.
Quote in under 2 minutes
Templates for common recoveries (light tow, accident recovery, breakdown) get you from arrival to sent quote in seconds.
Track insurance and storage
See which insurance authorisations are pending and which storage charges are accruing daily.
Built for your trade
Quoting calibrated to how towing services actually work
Pick your trade in Settings and the entire quote flow switches to fit. Line item presets, compliance fields, on-the-quote calculators, and per-m² / after-hours pricing all change to match your industry.
Trade-specific line items
Quick add picker pre-fills the common items your trade quotes. Skip the blank rows.
Brand-specific catalogues
Pylontech, Hikvision, Canadian Solar, Sunsynk and others pre-named. Pick the brand, the description writes itself.
Compliance fields built in
IOPSA, ECASA, PIRB, PSIRA, NHBRC, SAQCC. Set once. Every quote prints them under FROM.
Registration expiry alerts
Dashboard notification 60 days before your PSIRA, CoC or any dated registration lapses.
Per-m² / hour / day billing
Unit selector on every line item: m², hr, linear m, days. Stop doing the maths externally.
After-hours and emergency
1.5× and 2× multipliers as a one-tap toggle. Customer sees the breakdown on the quote.
Quote-flow calculators
Solar size, battery backup, cable run cost. Compute on the spot, drop straight onto the quote.
Staged payments
Deposit on acceptance + balance on completion as two separate amounts on the quote PDF.
Scope-of-work checklist
Structured Included / Not included lists. Client acceptance = signing the scope.
Site-survey mode
Log a location per line item: camera positions, fixtures by room, sensors by zone.
Regional rate hints
Pricing ranges per item per currency shown as you quote.
Free on every plan
All of the above included on the free plan. Premium is for capacity, not the trade tooling.
Why QuoteGenio
Why Towing Services choose QuoteGenio
The tools that matter most when you are quoting on-site, under pressure, and between jobs.
Quote from your phone
Most Towing Services build and send quotes directly from the job site. No laptop, no office, no delays.
Win more jobs, faster
The first professional quote a client receives usually wins. Respond in minutes, not hours.
Quote to invoice in one click
When the job is accepted, convert to an invoice instantly. No retyping, no double entry.
Pricing guide
Typical Towing Services job pricing
A rough guide to what towing operators charge for common recoveries. Pricing varies by region, after-hours timing, and whether the job is insurance-approved or private. Use these as a baseline when building your own rate card.
| Job | Typical range |
|---|---|
| Standard call-out (first hour) | R1,570 - R3,636 |
| Light vehicle tow (per km) | R30 - R74 |
| Heavy vehicle tow (per km) | R74 - R207 |
| Accident recovery (winch and clean-up) | R4,628 - R15,701 |
| Off-road / 4x4 recovery (per hour) | R3,636 - R9,586 |
| Vehicle storage (per day) | R578 - R1,983 |
| Cross-border tow (per km, both vehicles) | R74 - R207 |
Pricing converted from USD to ZAR at indicative rates. Rates vary significantly by country, region, currency, and market.
Call-out fees
Towing call-outs typically cover the first hour on-scene plus travel to the location. Most operators charge R1,570 to R3,636 for a standard daytime call-out and 1.5x to 2x for after-hours and weekends. Quote the call-out as its own line, then add the per-kilometre tow and any recovery work as separate lines.
Hourly vs fixed pricing
Use fixed pricing for the call-out and per-kilometre rates for the tow. Use hourly (R3,636 to R9,586 per hour for specialist recovery) for winching, off-road recovery, and accident scene clean-up where time depends on the situation. Storage is always a per-day fixed rate, ticking from the day the vehicle arrives at the yard.
See it in action
Example quote breakdown
Here's what a clean, itemised towing quote looks like. Notice how the call-out, recovery, per-kilometre tow, storage, and admin are all on separate lines. Insurers approve quotes like this without question because every cost has its own description.
Try it yourself
Job size
Region
Sample quote
Accident recovery and tow to body shop, 45 km
On-scene call-out (first hour, after-hours)
Accident recovery (winch and scene clean-up)
Light vehicle tow (45 km, flatbed)
Storage at yard (4 days, while assessor inspects)
Police case file admin
| Description | Qty | Rate | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| On-scene call-out (first hour, after-hours) | 1 | R3,636 | R3,636 |
| Accident recovery (winch and scene clean-up) | 1 | R7,933 | R7,933 |
| Light vehicle tow (45 km, flatbed) | 45 | R53 / km | R2,380 |
| Storage at yard (4 days, while assessor inspects) | 4 | R1,074 / day | R4,297 |
| Police case file admin | 1 | R1,570 | R1,570 |
| Subtotal | R19,816 | ||
| Tax (10%) | R1,982 | ||
| Total incl. tax | R21,797 | ||
Totals recalculate as you change the controls above. Tax rate inferred from the sample quote.
Items often forgotten
After-hours call-out uplift, scene clean-up materials, police case file admin, storage from day one, and the second tow if the body shop can't accept the vehicle straight away. Add these to your templates once and stop absorbing them on every recovery.
Peer snapshot
How Towing Services actually use QuoteGenio
Indicative activity for Towing Services on the platform. Use it as a benchmark for how often to quote and how fast to respond.
25
Quotes sent per month
47%
Average quote acceptance
3 min
Median time to send quote
R21,797
Typical quote value
Figures are indicative platform averages for this trade segment.
Start quoting Towing Service jobs like this, free
Build your first quote in under 2 minutes. No credit card, no setup fee, no contract.
Avoid these
Common quoting mistakes
We talk to a lot of towing operators. The same call-out and storage mistakes come up again and again. Fix these and your insurance claims will pay out faster and your invoices will stop being disputed.
Mistake: Verbal price at the scene
Better: Always send a written quote via WhatsApp before the strop comes out. Even a 60 second quote saves arguments at the drop-off and supports the insurance claim later.
Mistake: Bundling call-out and per-km
Better: List the call-out and the per-kilometre tow as separate lines. The call-out covers your hook-up time and the per-km covers the distance. Bundling them confuses customers and insurers.
Mistake: Storage starts on day two
Better: Storage should tick from the day the vehicle arrives at the yard, not the next day. State the per-day rate clearly on the quote so the customer knows what's accruing.
Mistake: No after-hours uplift
Better: Evening, night, weekend, and public holiday call-outs should carry a 1.5x to 2x premium. Build an after-hours template so you can quote the right rate in 60 seconds.
Mistake: Forgetting the cross-border admin
Better: Cross-border tows need import/export paperwork, border permits, and time at the post. Quote a cross-border admin line so it's not absorbed into your per-km rate.
Mistake: No itemised winch time
Better: Winching out of a ditch or off a roof is specialist work with specialist equipment. Quote it per hour at the recovery rate, separate from the tow.
Mistake: No expiry on the quote
Better: Storage charges accrue daily, so set a 7 day validity on the initial quote and reissue if the vehicle is in storage longer. Customers and insurers need to see current storage on every reissued quote.
Mistake: No follow-up after sending the quote
Better: Most quotes that don't close, don't close because nobody followed up. Send a polite check-in 48 hours after the quote lands, and a second nudge at day 7. Two of every three accepted quotes get there because someone followed up.
Step by step
How to quote towing jobs
At the scene, note the GPS location, the destination, the vehicle condition, and whether winching, specialist recovery, or clean-up is required. Photograph the vehicle from all angles before loading, because insurers need proof of pre-existing damage to settle the claim cleanly. For accident recovery, capture the police case number, the registration, and any debris or fluid that needs clean-up. For off-road and 4x4 recoveries, estimate winch time and whether you need a second truck or a snatch block. For cross-border tows, confirm border post opening hours and whether permits are required. These observations on-scene are what separate a defensible insurance-ready quote from a verbal price that gets disputed at drop-off.
Itemise call-out, per-kilometre tow, recovery type, winch time, storage, and admin as separate lines. Quote the standard call-out at $ 95 to $ 220 for the first hour (1.5x to 2x for after-hours and weekends), then per-kilometre tow at $ 1.80 to $ 4.50 for light vehicles and $ 4.50 to $ 12.50 for heavy. Specialist recovery (winching, scene clean-up, off-road) lives on its own line at the recovery hourly rate of $ 220 to $ 580. Storage ticks from day one at $ 35 to $ 120 per day. Add a police case file admin line ($ 95 is standard) on accident recoveries. For cross-border work, add a border admin line covering permits, customs, and waiting time at the post.
Set a 7 day validity on the initial recovery quote because storage charges accrue daily and the insurer needs to see the current running total. Reissue the quote weekly if the vehicle stays longer. Show VAT as its own line because insurers process VAT separately from the recovery amount. State that after-hours, weekend, and public holiday call-outs carry a 1.5x to 2x premium, and reference your terms on every quote so the customer signs off before you roll. For pre-arranged tows and vehicle relocations, a 14 to 30 day validity is fine. On insurance claims, take the excess from the customer on release of the vehicle and bill the insurer for the balance against the approved quote.
Send the quote from the cab of the truck before the strop comes out. Even a 60 second WhatsApp quote captures the rate in writing, which saves a payment dispute at drop-off and supports the insurance claim later. For accident scenes where the customer is distressed or unable to engage, send the quote to the named fleet manager or the insurer's 24-hour claim line at the same time. Wait for the accept click (from the customer, the fleet manager, or the insurer, depending on who is paying) before loading. Issue an updated invoice at drop-off with the actual kilometres and recovery time, and send storage reissues every week while the vehicle is in the yard so there is no invoice shock at release.
FAQ
Common questions from towing operators
Everything you need to know before getting started.
Yes. Add the tow distance as a line item with a per-kilometre unit rate and the distance as the quantity. The total calculates automatically.
Yes. Build the quote on your phone, share the link via WhatsApp, and the customer or fleet manager gets a branded PDF instantly. They can accept it on-scene before the recovery starts.
Yes. Add storage as a per-day line with the number of days as the quantity. Reissue the invoice when more days accrue or settle on collection.
Yes. Every quote has a unique public link. Send it to the assessor by email, and they can open it on a laptop and approve in seconds. No signup needed.
Yes. One click converts the accepted quote to an invoice. All line items carry over with no double entry.
Yes. The free plan gives you 5 quotes and 2 invoices per month with no credit card required. Upgrade to Premium for unlimited quotes, invoices, statements, and reports.
Quote the call-out and the recovery work as fixed lines, then quote the tow as a per-kilometre line with an estimated distance. State on the quote that the final distance will be measured on arrival and the per-km line adjusted. Customers and insurers accept this when the per-km rate is clearly stated upfront.
Yes. Most towing operators charge a 1.5x to 2x premium on call-out and recovery for after-hours, weekends, and public holidays. Build an 'after-hours' template in QuoteGenio so you can quote the right rate in 60 seconds without recalculating. Reference your terms on the quote so the customer signs off on the rate before you roll.
Quote storage as a per-day line at your standard rate, ticking from the day the vehicle arrives at the yard. State on the quote that storage continues until the vehicle is collected or released, and bill it as a separate invoice if needed. For long-term storage, reissue the quote weekly so the customer or insurer sees the running total.
If you are VAT registered, yes. Show VAT as its own line on every quote and invoice. Insurers process VAT separately from the recovery amount and your quote needs to make that clear. If you are under the VAT threshold, state clearly on the quote that prices are VAT exempt.
Still have questions? We would rather answer them now than after you have signed up.
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Guides
Guides for Towing Services
Practical advice to help you quote better, get paid faster, and grow your business.
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