Most towing companies make you call to find out. Here are our real numbers — the same ones baked into every fixed quote we put in writing before a truck moves.
The exact price depends on three things: how far the tow is, whether your car can roll, and what time it is. Our pricing is simple: distance is charged at $2.90 per kilometre beyond the first 10km, and a 15% surcharge applies for after-hours callouts (10pm–6am) and for non-drivable vehicles that need a tilt tray or winch.
| Typical job | What it usually costs |
|---|---|
| Local tow, under 10km (e.g. home to your local mechanic) | from $99 |
| Cross-town tow, 15–30km (e.g. Brunswick to Dandenong side) | $129 – $189 |
| Metro to outer suburbs, 30–50km | $189 – $250 |
| After-hours (10pm–6am) or non-drivable vehicle | +15% |
| Regional runs — Geelong, Ballarat, Bendigo, statewide | fixed quote |
Ranges reflect typical metro jobs. Your exact price is always shown in writing before you accept — the number on the screen is the number you pay at drop-off, cash or card.
1. Distance. The first 10km is included; after that it's $2.90/km. A 20km tow adds about $29 to a short-hook price — not double the bill.
2. Drivable or not. A car that rolls can be hooked and gone in minutes. Locked wheels, dead handbrakes and accident damage need a tilt tray with a winch — that's the 15% loading, not a mystery "recovery fee".
3. Time of day. Between 10pm and 6am the 15% after-hours surcharge applies. Weekends and public holidays during daytime hours are charged the same as any weekday.
4. Vehicle type. Standard cars, SUVs and utes price as above. Motorbikes travel on proper chocks and tie-downs, and machinery is quoted by weight and tray requirements.
What never changes the price: fees invented at drop-off. If a towing outfit won't put its price in writing before the hook goes on, that's your sign to keep scrolling.
Because quoting low on the phone and adjusting at drop-off is profitable. We do the opposite: the request form calculates your fixed price from real distance, you accept it in writing, and that exact amount is what the driver collects. It costs nothing to ask.
Longer runs are quoted case by case as a single fixed price — typically well under what an hourly rate would rack up. Drop both addresses into the request form and you'll have a firm number in minutes, no obligation.
No — you pay the driver at drop-off, cash or card, and only the amount you accepted. There's no deposit and no charge for asking for a quote.
Accident towing follows the same distance-based pricing with clear paperwork for every job. Note that accident-scene towing in Victoria is regulated — where police attend a crash scene, allocation rules can apply.
Drop your pin, see your fixed price in writing, accept it or don't. No obligation, no call centre.