A tow truck operator's duties consist of communicating with a dispatcher, driving to the scene of an accident or breakdown, connecting the vehicle to the tow truck, and transporting it back to the service station or junkyard. The driver is usually responsible for attaching the disabled vehicle to the tow truck. Depending on the type of tow truck, this may include using a chain, winch, steering locks, and other devices and affixing lights onto the towed vehicle.
At the very least, applicants must have a valid driver's license and a record of safe driving to become a tow truck operator. Other qualifications vary by state and employer. In general, they should be at least 18 years old and have a high school diploma or the equivalent. Prior work experience isn't typically required, but trucking or automotive repair is always a plus.
Tow truck operators start at an average of $12.00 to $16.00 an hour, depending on employer and experience.
There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a tow truck driver. For example, did you know that they make an average of $20.57 an hour? That's $42,789 a year!
Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 5% and produce 99,700 job opportunities across the U.S.
There are certain skills that many tow truck drivers have in order to accomplish their responsibilities. By taking a look through resumes, we were able to narrow down the most common skills for a person in this position. We discovered that a lot of resumes listed hand-eye coordination, physical health and communication skills.
If you're interested in becoming a tow truck driver, one of the first things to consider is how much education you need. We've determined that 5.4% of tow truck drivers have a bachelor's degree. In terms of higher education levels, we found that 1.1% of tow truck drivers have master's degrees. Even though some tow truck drivers have a college degree, it's possible to become one with only a high school degree or GED.
Choosing the right major is always an important step when researching how to become a tow truck driver. When we researched the most common majors for a tow truck driver, we found that they most commonly earn high school diploma degrees or associate degree degrees. Other degrees that we often see on tow truck driver resumes include diploma degrees or bachelor's degree degrees.
You may find that experience in other jobs will help you become a tow truck driver. In fact, many tow truck driver jobs require experience in a role such as driver. Meanwhile, many tow truck drivers also have previous career experience in roles such as truck driver or delivery driver.