Towing or salvage — how to choose correctly

For most motorists 'being towed away' is just 'being towed away'. For the auto helper there is an important difference between towing and recovery — a difference that is about both legislation and safety and determines which solution is right in the specific situation.

Towing is when a car is pulled by another with a rigid tow attachment or an approved tow line while the car being towed still has a driver at the wheel and functioning brakes and steering. The rules set narrow limits: the distance between vehicles must typically be no more than around 4 metres and towing with a line is not permitted on motorways. Towing is therefore only a solution for short distances under controlled conditions — e.g. pulling a car free from a parking space or a few hundred metres to the nearest safe place.

Recovery is used when the vehicle does not meet towing requirements — the brakes or steering do not work, there is no driver to sit in the towed vehicle, it must be transported on a motorway, or it is so damaged that driving on its own wheels is not an option at all. Instead, a flatbed truck that lifts the vehicle completely off the road or a crane truck that pulls and lifts it is used before transport. Recovery is the safest and often the only legal solution when the damage is of a certain severity.

A tow that should really have been a recovery is dangerous for all parties. A car without functioning brakes being towed behind another in traffic can skid into the towing vehicle during braking. A car without a driver cannot steer around obstacles. And on a motorway where speed is high, the margin for error is minimal. This is therefore a central part of the autohelper's expertise: being able to judge correctly — not just what the customer wants, but what the situation and law allows.

Many customers expect their car to just be 'towed home' and are surprised that it requires a larger tow truck. Here it is your job to explain why — briefly and clearly: 'Your car's brakes don't work, so we can't tow it behind us in traffic; it has to ride on the flatbed the whole way.' Good communication means the customer understands and accepts the solution, even if it takes a bit longer.

Being able to distinguish between towing and recovery — and daring to choose the safe option, even if it's more troublesome — is one of the competencies that separates the experienced roadside assistance operator from the beginner.