Towing costs in Adelaide and what sets the price

We don’t publish a price list, because two tows in the same suburb can be different jobs. The price we give you on the phone comes from the details below, and we agree it before the truck leaves Angle Park.

In short

A tow in Adelaide costs more or less depending on four things: distance, time of day, the vehicle and its condition, and access. SA Best Towing measures distance from its yard in Angle Park to you and on to the drop-off, and gives you the price on the phone before the truck is booked. Ring 0457 300 057.

White Toyota HiLux on the SA Best Towing tray with a champagne people mover on the rear lift, in a car park

Common jobs, and what moves the price

Call for your price

Job	What changes it
Local tow within the metro area	Distance from Angle Park to you and on to the drop-off, and whether the car rolls.
After-hours breakdown	The hour and the day, how far out you are, and whether the car is safe to leave until morning.
Accident tow from a holding yard	Damage to the wheels and steering, release times at the holding yard, and where the car is going.
Motorcycle	Whether the bike stands on its wheels or is lying down, and the distance.
Car removal	The car’s make, age, condition and access. Some cars are worth money and some aren’t. We tell you on the phone which yours is.
Lowered, classic or prestige car	Ride height, the extra loading time, and the distance.
Unregistered car	Whether the tyres hold air and the wheels turn after sitting, and getting it out of a backyard or shed.
Forklift or scissor lift	Make and model, whether it runs, and site access at each end.
Two vehicles in one trip	Whether the second vehicle suits the rear lift, and the distance.
Empty shipping container	The container’s length and empty weight, room to tilt the tray at each end, and the distance.
Country job	The run out from Angle Park and back, and how long the truck is away from Adelaide.

How long the job takes

A tow takes in the drive to you, loading, the drive to the drop-off and unloading. We run one truck, so an hour on your job is an hour it can’t spend on anyone else’s.

Loading time varies more than people expect. A car that rolls and steers is the quickest to load. The same car with a locked wheel, parked in a basement, takes far longer over the same distance.

Call-out distance and towing distance

Two distances shape the price. The first is the run from 48 Blenheim St, Angle Park, out to you. The second is the run with your vehicle on the tray. Angle Park sits in Adelaide’s north-west, so a job in Woodville or Port Adelaide starts with a short run, and one in the southern suburbs starts with a long one.

Some operators charge a base fee plus a rate per kilometre. Ask any operator what their price includes before you agree to it.

Nights, weekends and public holidays

A tow at 2am or on Christmas Day costs more than the same tow on a Tuesday morning, with us and with most operators. Someone has to be awake and driving.

If the car is off the road and safe, in your own driveway or a car park that stays open, ask whether waiting until business hours changes the price. If you’re on the shoulder of a busy road at night, don’t wait for a cheaper hour.

The vehicle and the state it’s in

A hatchback that rolls, steers and brakes is the simplest job we do. The price climbs as loading gets harder: a missing wheel or a seized brake, a lowered car, a van or 4WD that fills more of the tray, a forklift that needs chains at four points.

A wheel that won’t turn slows the loading down. Keys matter too. Without them, a steering lock can hold the front wheels turned, and loading takes longer.

Where the vehicle is sitting

A car on a flat street is quick. A car in a low basement or a narrow laneway takes longer, and a tilt tray needs height to tilt and room to line up, so a low roof can rule it out. If a car has slid onto a soft verge, tell us exactly where it is, and we’ll say on the phone whether the winch can reach it. A vehicle bogged off-road needs a recovery first, before any tow truck can load it.

Tell us about access when you ring.

Getting a price on the phone

Have these ready when you call: the exact location (a dropped pin works best), where the vehicle is going, the make and model, what’s wrong, whether you have the keys, and whether the wheels turn. Photos sent by text help with damage or awkward access.

We give you the price on that call. If the job turns out different from what you described, we tell you before we do anything extra.

The things that set the price

Distance to you

The drive from our Angle Park yard to wherever the vehicle is sitting.

Distance on the tray

The run from pickup to drop-off with the vehicle loaded.

Time of day

Outside weekday business hours, the same tow costs more.

Vehicle type

Cars and utes are the simplest to load. Vans, 4WDs, motorbikes and machinery each load their own way and take their own time.

Condition

A vehicle that rolls and steers loads fast. Locked wheels, missing wheels or heavy damage add time.

Access

Basements, laneways and tight driveways add winching and setup time.

Waiting time

Time waiting on a holding yard’s release or a site gate before we can load or unload.

A second vehicle

The rear lift raises one end of a second vehicle, which rolls behind on its other axle. It can save a second trip.

Ways to keep it down

Send a dropped pin from your phone’s map app so the truck comes straight to you.
If the car is safe in a driveway or an open car park, ask whether a business-hours tow costs less.
Pick the nearest sensible destination, such as your own mechanic or home, over a workshop across town.
Ask whether a second vehicle from the same place can come on the rear lift in the same trip.
Mention basements, flat tyres, missing keys and locked wheels when you ring, so the price allows for them.
Check your insurance or roadside cover before paying out of your own pocket.
Have the keys ready and move other cars out of the driveway before the truck arrives.

Price questions

How much does a tow truck cost in Adelaide?

It depends on distance, time of day, the vehicle and access, so we don’t publish a set price that would be wrong for most jobs. Call SA Best Towing on 0457 300 057 with the location, the destination and what’s wrong with the vehicle, and you get the price before we book.

Do you charge more to tow at night or on weekends?

Yes. Nights, weekends and public holidays cost more than weekday business hours, and we tell you the after-hours price on the phone. If your car is safe where it is, ask whether waiting until morning changes the number, then decide.

Do tow trucks charge by the kilometre?

Some quote a base fee plus a per-kilometre rate. Others give a single price for the whole job. Whichever way it’s quoted, ask what the price covers, from pickup to drop-off, before you book. If the destination changes mid-job, we talk to you about the price first.

Will my insurance or roadside membership pay for a tow?

Check before you book. Some car insurance policies and roadside memberships include towing, often to a repairer or within a distance they set. Call your insurer first if you plan to claim, since some only pay for a tow they arranged. If you’re paying now and claiming later, keep the invoice for your insurer.

Can the towing price change once the truck arrives?

It can if the job turns out different from what you described, like a car in a basement nobody mentioned or a wheel that won’t turn. If that happens, we tell you the new price before we do the extra work, and you decide whether to go ahead.

Why do towing quotes in Adelaide vary so much?

Each operator starts from a different yard, so the run to reach you differs, and each builds its price in its own way. Compare the full price for the whole job, from pickup to drop-off, and ask what could change it before you say yes.

How do I pay for a tow?

Card, bank transfer or cash, whichever suits you. You hear the price on the phone before the job is booked, so you know the amount before the truck leaves Angle Park. Tell us on the call which way you’ll pay, and ask then about anything that could change the figure on the day.

Does it cost more to tow a car that won’t roll?

It can. A rolling car is the quickest to load. With a seized brake, a missing wheel or a steering lock and no keys, the winch draws it up the tray slowly. That takes longer, so tell us when you ring and the price allows for it from the start.