How to hire a Tow Truck Driver

How to hire a tow truck driver, step by step

Here's a step-by-step tow truck driver hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a tow truck driver job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new tow truck driver
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a Tow Truck Driver do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the tow truck driver you need to hire. Certain tow truck driver roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

   Determine Employee vs Contractor Status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a tow truck driver to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire a tow truck driver that fits the bill.

   Here's a comparison of tow truck driver salaries for various roles:

   Type Of Tow Truck Driver	Description	Hourly Rate
   Tow Truck Driver	Heavy and tractor–trailer truck drivers transport goods from one location to another. Most tractor–trailer drivers are long-haul drivers and operate trucks with a gross vehicle weight (GVW) capacity—that is, the combined weight of the vehicle, passengers, and cargo—exceeds 26,000 pounds... Show More	$13-24
   CDL Driver	A CDL driver is responsible for the transportation of goods from the manufacturing warehouse to specific store locations. CDL drivers' duties include inspecting the items before and after the delivery to ensure that the orders are correct with the right quantity, providing proof of delivery from the receiving customers, following the delivery schedule and report any delays immediately, monitoring the vehicle's engine for efficiency, and escalating concerns of incorrect deliveries and defective items... Show More	$19-46
   Van Driver	A van driver is responsible for operating a wide and a larger-sized vehicle than a regular car, usually used as a company shuttle to pick up and drop employees to designated areas. Van drivers should have a clean driving record, ensuring the safety and comfortability of the passengers while on the road... Show More	$11-25

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common Skills:

   • Transport Vehicles
   • CDL
   • Customer Service
   • Loaders
   • AAA
   • Fuel Delivery
   • Tire Changes
   • Unload Vehicles
   • Emergency Equipment
   • Lock Outs
   • Automotive Problems
   • Service Calls
   • Motor Vehicle
   • Law Enforcement

   Check All Skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage and expedite the secure transportation and accountability of logistic materials and HAZMAT chemicals to commercial, state and government facilities.
   • Operate tow truck and equipment (dollies, go jacks).
   • Drive rollback tow truck, load and unload cars, secure cars on truck bed, operate hydraulic, maintain truck
   • Right eye injury and ineligibility for CDL )
   • Job require current CDL with clean driving record.
   • Maintain contracts with several companies as well as CHP work.

   More Tow Truck Driver duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in the tow truck driver job description is a good way to get more applicants. A tow truck driver salary can be affected by several factors, such as the location of the job, the level of experience, education, certifications, and the employer's prestige.

   For example, the average salary for a tow truck driver in Kansas may be lower than in Washington, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level tow truck driver. Additionally, a tow truck driver with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

   Average tow truck driver salary

   $38,555yearly

   $18.54 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level tow truck driver salary

   $29,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 19, 2025

   Average tow truck driver salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. Salary	Hourly Rate
   1	Washington	$53,068	$26
   2	California	$47,219	$23
   3	Minnesota	$46,240	$22
   4	Hawaii	$44,758	$22
   5	New Hampshire	$44,420	$21
   6	Nevada	$43,071	$21
   7	Massachusetts	$41,287	$20
   8	Montana	$40,959	$20
   9	Wyoming	$40,159	$19
   10	New Jersey	$40,037	$19
   11	Colorado	$39,554	$19
   12	Arizona	$37,821	$18
   13	Nebraska	$37,679	$18
   14	Texas	$37,420	$18
   15	Connecticut	$36,960	$18
   16	Maryland	$36,715	$18
   17	Missouri	$36,431	$18
   18	Georgia	$36,051	$17
   19	Pennsylvania	$35,660	$17
   20	Illinois	$35,591	$17

   Average tow truck driver salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average Salary	Hourly Rate	Job Openings
   1	City of Detroit	$43,974	$21.14
   2	T N T Auto Co	$42,194	$20.29
   3	Elite Service	$42,194	$20.29
   4	EntwistleCo	$42,178	$20.28
   5	Small Business Services	$42,027	$20.21	1
   6	Norwalk Auto Auction	$41,895	$20.14	1
   7	Rite Way Service	$41,330	$19.87
   8	United Road Towing	$40,333	$19.39
   9	AAA Systems	$40,273	$19.36
   10	Sellars	$40,138	$19.30	1
   11	Watson Windows	$39,796	$19.13
   12	AAA Northeast	$39,523	$19.00
   13	Buckhorn	$39,145	$18.82	3
   14	TRU TECH Systems	$39,057	$18.78
   15	AAA FACILITY SERVICES	$38,801	$18.65	1
   16	Stuart Dean	$38,020	$18.28
   17	Sun Devil Fire	$37,082	$17.83
   18	AAA Northern California, Nevada & Utah	$36,848	$17.72	1
   19	AAA AUTO	$36,144	$17.38
   20	North Central Group	$35,590	$17.11

4. Writing a Tow Truck Driver Job Description

   A tow truck driver job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. Below, you can find an example of a tow truck driver job description:

   Tow Truck Driver job description example

   We call our club's vision, mission, values, and supporting pillars "Our House" because they are the foundation for all that we do. We're working to transform AAA for the next century with a mission to create Members for life by unleashing the innovative spirit of our Team Members.
   
   At AAA, our Team Members strive to deliver amazing service and help our Members outsmart life's roadblocks. We believe everything you do outside of work adds to who you are at work. We're working to transform AAA for the next century with a mission to create Members for life by unleashing the innovative spirit of our Team Members.
   Why work for us? Great Pay
   - $ 20. 00 hourly with the potential to make up to an ADDITIONAL $1,300 per month with quality and productivity incentives Bonus
   - Generous Monthly Incentive bonus up to $1,300 with quality and productivity incentives! Training
   - You'll attend a thorough, comprehensive, training program Benefits
   - Medical, Dental, Vision, wellness program and more! 401k Matching
   - $1 for $1 company match up to 6% of pay Paid Time Off
   - Ten hours per month, ten holidays annually, and 24 hours per year earmarked for volunteer activities Collaborative Environment
   - AAA will value your contribution to providing exceptional service to our members
   Advance opportunities and more! What our Roadside Service Technicians do: Driving and operating a service vehicle (i.e. loading/towing vehicles, flat tire changes, lock-out, fuel delivery services, etc.) On-scene time interacting with customer/establishing rapport, building relationships, trust and problem solving Utilizing on-board computer, radio communications, and mapping systems Completion of daily paperwork (i.e. call-logs, battery invoices, cash receipts, etc.) Inspecting and submitting maintenance reports of company vehicles for safe and efficient operation Education and training. I.E.: AAA Compliance Training, RPST,TSAAC, Lock-out, PSP, Battery Service Training Education & Experience/Licenses & Certification Must be at least
   21 years
   
   of age
   to operate AAA vehicles Must have open shift availability Ability to drive a manual/automatic shift vehicle Customer service skills and the ability to interact with a wide-range of people Basic automotive/mechanic knowledge and experience operating a motor vehicle with a valid driver's license Basic computer knowledge Work Environment/Physical Requirements: Works outdoors at vehicle sites when servicing vehicles. Lifting and carrying tires and parts, weighing up to 50 pounds, several times a day; bending, kneeling and stooping as required for service calls. Works in all weather and all traffic conditions. Vehicle recovery sites may be wet, messy and hazardous. Service Providers are required to provide a photograph for identification purposes.
   If needed for identification purposes, a photograph may be obtained
   after
   an offer of employment is made and accepted. **Please note that you will be asked to complete a candidate assessment following your application, via email. Your application will not be considered until the assessment has been completed.** We'll value your skills and experience. We're building a performance organization with heart and developing a pipeline of tomorrow's leaders. Your work will be enhanced with training opportunities, a mentoring program and our Promote-from-within philosophy. We celebrate our diversity and leverage the power of many minds. #ERS

   Copy This Example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find tow truck drivers for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your tow truck driver job on Zippia to find and recruit tow truck driver candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting tow truck drivers requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new tow truck driver

   Once you've found the tow truck driver candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   It's equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new tow truck driver. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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How much does it cost to hire a tow truck driver?