Tow Driver Analysis

When someone provides you with a service, it is common to provide them with a tip to thank them for their services. A tow truck driver provides you with a unique service; they get your vehicle where it needs to go when you can’t. Here is a quick guide to determine if and what you should tip your tow driver.

Factors To Consider

When determining if you should tip your tow driver, you need to take into consideration the factors surrounding the situation that you are in and how they responded to that situation.

Timeliness

To start with, you need to take into consideration timeliness. When you called the tow truck company, how long did they say it would take them to get a driver out to you? How busy did they say they were? Based on the information they provided you with when you called for assistance, did the driver show up on time? If the driver showed up on time, called you to tell you that they were on their way, or keep you informed if they were running late, all of those factors would go under the “Yes” column for a tip.

Service
Next, you need to take into consideration the actual service that was provided.
If they changed out a flat tire for you, did they do it in a timely manner and did they complete the job? If your vehicle was stuck somewhere, did they exercise caution with moving your vehicle? Pay attention to how quickly they do their job, and the quality of work that they performed. If they performed their job quickly, while doing their best to take care of your vehicle, those factors would also go under the “Yes” column for a tip.
Attitude

Finally, take into consideration how the driver treated you. In order to earn a tip, the tow truck driver should have been polite to you and kept you in the loop with clear communication. They should not have been rude or callouss to you at all.

If your overall answers to the questions above about timeliness, service and attitude were all positive, then your tow truck drive probably earned a tip.

Figuring Out A Tip

How much you tip your driver really depends on how much cash you have on your person. Most people do not expect to need a tow truck; its not like when you go out to dinner and bring cash with you because you plan on leaving a tip.

Some tow companies will allow you to write in a tip if you use your card to pay for the services, others will not. If you have cash on you or you can add a tip with your credit or debit card to the total bill, a nice tip is about 10% of your total bill.

You are not obligated to tip your top truck driver, but it is a nice way to say thank you to someone who helped you out when you really needed it.