Towing Union County NJ: common questions, answered the way the dispatcher answers them

Every one of the twenty-one. Berkeley Heights, Clark, Cranford, Elizabeth, Fanwood, Garwood, Hillside, Kenilworth, Linden, Mountainside, New Providence, Plainfield, Rahway, Roselle, Roselle Park, Scotch Plains, Springfield, Summit, Union, Westfield and Winfield all ring the same dispatcher at (908) 666-3168.

The yard is in Linden, on the southeast side of the county. Linden, Rahway, Roselle and Elizabeth are the shortest runs; the middle towns along Route 22 and the Parkway come next; the hill towns and Plainfield are the longest.

No. The booking fee is the same in every Union County town, and mileage is counted from your car to where it is going, not from our yard. A Summit car going to a Summit garage carries a short mileage line.

It depends on where the nearest truck is when you call, which is why the dispatcher checks the map before answering. The southeast towns are usually quickest. For the hill towns and Plainfield she gives you an honest window rather than a hopeful one.

$149 to book by phone or $129 online, which covers the truck reaching you and the hook-up, plus mileage to your destination, stated before dispatch. Roadside jobs are one flat price each. The prices page has every line.

No. Town lines are invisible on the quote. Fanwood to Westfield or Hillside to Union is simply a few miles of mileage like any other trip.

Yes. Route 22 is direct dispatch for us from Hillside to Scotch Plains. Tell the dispatcher which direction you were heading and the nearest store or U-turn so the truck arrives on your side of the divider.

On the New Jersey Turnpike and the Garden State Parkway the shoulder itself is served by the Turnpike Authority's authorized garages; book with us anyway, and once the authorized truck has the car off the highway we take it from the exit or the garage's lot to the shop or driveway you choose, at the same flat quoted price. The local roads at Exits 135 through 142 are direct dispatch for our trucks.

Turnpike and Parkway shoulders are served by the Authority's authorized garages. Book with us and we take the car from the exit or the garage's lot. The Jersey Gardens lots, the hotels and the Elizabeth streets around the exit are ours, and they are a short run from the yard.

Yes. Medium and heavy-duty trucks work the warehouse and port side of Elizabeth from the same yard. Carriers and warehouses that call regularly can open an account with one monthly invoice.

Often not. A car that sat all day is usually a weak battery, and the driver tries a jump first at one flat price. If the battery will not hold, the tow is added on the same visit with no second callout.

Yes. Give the dispatcher the nearest crossroad, parking area or landmark. The driver brings a winch, and if the car still drives after it is back on the pavement, the winch-out is the whole bill.

Yes. Essex, Middlesex, Somerset, Morris and Hudson are all short hops, priced on mileage. Anything as far as the shore, Pennsylvania or New York is a long distance tow with one number quoted up front.

Yes, and the dispatcher assigns one as soon as you name the vehicle. An AWD or EV should never be dragged on two wheels, and our drivers do not do it.

Usually, once the scene is safe and the officer agrees. Tell them your own tow is on the way and name your body shop. Our driver photographs the damage and delivers the car there, not to a lot that charges by the day.

No. The overnight dispatcher and trucks cover the whole county on the same price list, so a 2 a.m. tow in Plainfield costs what a noon tow in Cranford costs.

Yes. Warehouses in Elizabeth, dealers on Route 22, repair shops in Rahway or Westfield, and property managers in Summit can hold accounts on net terms with a single monthly invoice. Ask the dispatcher or use the contact page.

No membership of any kind. Pay by card, Apple Pay, Google Pay or cash, and keep the itemized receipt if an insurer or plan reimburses towing.

Yes, by $20. Booking online sets the fee at $129 instead of $149. If you are stuck in traffic, call instead; a live voice is faster.

Yes, on a flatbed with a wheel chock and soft straps. From a garage in Clark, a lot at Kean University or the side of Route 28, the bike never touches a sling.

Yes. One or two passengers ride in the cab free of charge. If more people need a ride, mention it on the call.

Yes. Flatbed and wheel-lift drivers, owner-operators and roadside providers can see open positions on the driver jobs page. Many county routes begin at the Linden yard.