Price list for tow trucks in Restricted Tow Zones now listed online for commercial accounts and consumers to view

The fee schedule for Ontario’s Restricted Tow Zone Pilot lists prices ranging from $225 for a light-duty tilt and load tow truck to $850 for a heavy-duty wrecker with rotator boom.

Casual labour is listed at $125 per hour, while an Ontario Health and Safety representative if needed will cost $175 per hour.

Ontario has now published a standardized price list which consumers can view. For now, the price list applies to towing companies working as part of the Restricted Tow Zone Pilot.

The pilot will begin on four designated sections of GTA highways on December 13, 2021. “Restricted towing zones” are defined sections of provincial highways where only authorized towing companies can remove vehicles that require a tow. This means no other towing company can solicit towing of vehicles within a restricted towing zone.

“People should have confidence that when they need a tow, a reliable operator will answer their call and serve them fairly. But over the last several years, this simply hasn’t been the case. We’ve seen towing companies race dangerously to the scene of an accident. And too many customers have been subject to price gouging and pressure tactics by bad actors in the industry,” Minister of Transportation Caroline Mulroney wrote on November 26.

In a restricted towing zone, drivers must use an authorized towing company, which will be under contract for each restricted towing zone.

In the event drivers personal or commercial drivers need assistance in a restricted towing zone, they are to call 911 if it is an emergency or if in a travelled lane and the vehicle cannot be moved to a safe location; or, call 511 if they are in a safe location and need a tow. As of December 13, 511 will have an option to select titled “Tow Zone Project.”

When a personal vehicle breaks down in a restricted towing zone, the police or the Ministry of Transportation may permit you to use your roadside assistance membership (like CAA) if the vehicle is in a safe location on the shoulder and safety concerns are not identified.

To view the complete fee schedule which will govern the Restricted Tow Zone Pilot , visit the website here. Rates listed in the fee schedule are part of the Tow Zone Pilot. The fee schedule is provided to authorized towing companies operating under contract with the Ministry of Transportation.

Authorized towing companies that are under contract for restricted towing zones must show their identification to customers upon request and provide customers with the fee schedule and other information materials.

The fee for each towing service is listed under the “Base rate” column. Services with a per-hour base rate are based on a one-hour minimum for the first hour. After the first hour, the rates are calculated in 30-minute increments. The 30-minute increments will be rounded up and prorated according to the base rate.

For fees related to vehicles and/or equipment, the base rate includes driver and operator charges. For fees related to disablements and impoundments, the base rate includes preparatory work, hook-up and 10 kilometres of towing.

The storage base rate is based on the calendar day starting at the time of arrival of the vehicle, equipment or load at the storage site. A partial day counts as a full day.

“The goals of the Tow Zone Pilot are to ensure tow operators have the training, experience and proper equipment to clear highways safely and efficiently; to reduce congestion and delays on provincial highways by clearing the highway more quickly; and to help ensure reasonable tow rates for drivers by providing standard pricing and invoicing for towing services in the restricted tow zone,” Ontario’s website states.