Pricing, explained honestly
What vehicle recovery costs, and what changes the price
Five things decide almost every recovery quote in this trade. Once you know what they are, you can judge whether a price you have been given is fair before you agree to it.
Get a figure now, 07402 666 687Recovery is priced by the job, not by a rate card, because the same distance can be twenty minutes of work or two hours of it. What follows is how a quote is actually built, in the order the dispatcher works through it.
The one rule worth holding onto: you should be told the whole figure before a truck sets off. If an operator will not commit to a number on the phone, that is a decision they are keeping for later, at the roadside, when you have no alternative.
The five factors
Distance
The dominant factor on any quote. Short local recoveries are priced as a flat job because the driver time is predictable. Once a journey passes roughly fifty miles the sensible way to price it is per mile on the round trip, because the truck has to come home again. Always ask whether a per mile figure is one way or includes the return leg.
Time of day
A weekday afternoon job on a quiet road is the cheapest version of any recovery. Nights, weekends, bank holidays and the rush hour crawl on the ring road all cost more, because they cost us more in driver hours. If the vehicle is safely parked and nobody is waiting with it, moving the job to the next morning often saves real money.
Vehicle type
A small hatchback loads faster and lighter than a long wheelbase van or a large four by four. Weight, length and ride height all matter. Low slung and prestige cars need ramps and soft straps, and a loaded van may need a different truck entirely. Electric vehicles must travel with all four wheels off the ground, which rules out some cheaper methods.
Whether it runs
A car that can be driven onto the bed under its own power is the quickest job on the list. A non runner needs the winch. A vehicle with seized wheels or a locked steering column needs skates underneath first. Each step adds a few minutes at both ends, and time is what you are actually paying for.
Access
Where the vehicle sits changes the job more than most people expect. A wide driveway is quick. A narrow terraced street with cars both sides, a multi storey with a height barrier the truck cannot pass, an underground bay, a soft verge or a field all add time and sometimes different equipment.
How to keep the cost down
- Give an accurate description first time, because a surprise on arrival is what causes revised prices
- If the vehicle is parked safely, ask whether a booked move the next day is cheaper than tonight
- Have the exact postcode and door number ready, not just the street name
- Say up front if it will not start, roll or steer
- Tell us about height barriers, permit bays and narrow access before the truck is assigned
- Ask whether a long distance figure includes the driver's return leg
Cost questions people ask
- How much does vehicle recovery cost in the West Midlands?
- There is no single national figure, which is why we quote per job. A short local recovery in normal hours sits at the bottom of the range, and a long distance non runner collected from an awkward access point at 2am sits at the top. You are always given the exact figure on the call before anything is dispatched.
- Why will nobody publish a fixed price list?
- Because the same journey can be two very different jobs. A running car on a wide driveway and a seized non runner in a basement car park are the same miles and completely different work. Anyone publishing one flat number is either averaging generously or planning to revise it when the driver arrives.
- Is recovery cheaper than joining a breakdown club?
- For one incident, pay as you go is usually cheaper because you are not funding a year of cover you did not use. If you break down several times a year, a policy tends to win. It depends entirely on how often you need it.
- Does the price change once the driver arrives?
- Not with us, provided the details you gave were accurate. The only thing that changes a quote is the situation being materially different from the description, for example a loaded van described as empty, and the driver will tell you before starting rather than after.
- Do you charge a call out fee on top?
- No. The figure quoted is the job, not a call out fee with mileage bolted on afterwards. Ask any operator to confirm that before they set off.
- Is planned transport cheaper than emergency recovery?
- Usually yes, for the same two addresses. A booked move on a date that suits the diary avoids the urgency element entirely. If the vehicle is safely parked, ask about transport instead of recovery.
- Who pays if my insurer arranges recovery?
- If recovery is included in your policy or a non fault claim, your insurer normally settles it directly. If you arrange it yourself, keep the invoice, because it is often recoverable from the at fault party's insurer afterwards.
Related reading
Want a figure for your job?
Give the dispatcher the two postcodes and the vehicle, and you get one fixed price.