Know Your Rights: What to Do When Your Vehicle Is Towed

Key Takeaways:

• Immediate action is critical when a commercial vehicle is towed; businesses must quickly identify the tow yard, determine authorization, request a full itemized invoice (including all fees and surcharges), and check for legal holds to prevent escalating costs and liabilities.
• Businesses have rights in towing and storage disputes, including the right to transparent documentation and to challenge excessive or unfair billing practices, with specialized towing claims administrators playing a crucial role in enforcing these rights and negotiating fair resolutions.
• Towing incidents involving commercial vehicles or cargo present complex challenges, including excessive charges, jurisdictional differences, prolonged legal holds, and cargo exposure, which require strategic claims oversight beyond simple invoice audits.
• A dedicated towing claims administrator, like Veritas, protects business interests by performing detailed invoice audits, accurately allocating costs, negotiating storage resolutions, coordinating cargo claims, and centralizing documentation, all of which streamline the process and reduce financial losses.
• Effective claims management in towing incidents enhances customer satisfaction through real-time updates, clear communication, and coordinated actions across all parties, while also helping businesses identify and avoid common billing red flags such as excessive daily storage rates or backdated charges.

When a commercial vehicle or asset is unexpectedly towed, the disruption to logistics, liability exposure, and cost implications can escalate quickly. Whether you're managing cargo claims, coordinating with third-party carriers, or resolving long-term storage disputes, it's critical to act quickly—and with the right partner.

As a business, knowing what you’re entitled to, what you’re responsible for, and how to control costs during a towing event is non-negotiable. Here's what every claims manager, fleet operator, and logistics coordinator should know when a vehicle is towed.

First Response: What to Do Immediately

When a unit is towed, time is your biggest asset—or liability. Immediate action can mean the difference between controlled resolution and ballooning storage charges.

Start with these steps:

• Identify the tow yard and secure their contact information.
• Determine who authorized the tow (police-initiated, private property, etc.).
• Request a full itemized invoice immediately. This should include:
  • Hook-up fees
  • Mileage
  • Storage by day
  • After-hours or equipment surcharges
• Check for documentation or legal holds affecting release.

Quick tip: You’re entitled to see a full breakdown of all charges and conditions—don’t accept a lump-sum invoice without explanation.

Your Rights in Towing and Storage Disputes

While each jurisdiction has its own laws, certain principles apply nationally:

• Tow yards must provide transparent documentation.
• Unfair billing practices (like inflated per-day storage or duplicate charges) may violate local regulations.
• You have the right to challenge excessive charges, especially in commercial transport scenarios.

Partnering with a specialized towing claims administrator ensures these rights are enforced while keeping your internal team focused on higher-priority tasks.

Towing and Storage Challenges for Businesses

Towing incidents involving tractor-trailers, cargo, or heavy equipment introduce complex logistics and overlapping liability. Here’s what’s often at stake:

• Excessive or duplicate charges from third-party towing operators
• Jurisdictional differences in billing caps or lien regulations
• Prolonged legal holds without long-term storage planning
• Cargo exposure and salvage risks
• Disrupted transloads and delivery schedules

These challenges demand more than invoice audits—they require strategic claims oversight by a team that knows how to negotiate, validate, and streamline.

How a Towing Claims Administrator Protects Your Interests

If you're dealing with frequent towing incidents or backlogged files, a dedicated towing claims administrator can be the operational edge you need.

Here’s how Veritas delivers clarity and control:

• Invoice Auditing & Validation: We examine every charge and ensure local code compliance.
• Cost Allocation: We identify applicable coverage across tractor, trailer, cargo, and hazmat lines.
• Storage Resolution Claims Management: Our experts negotiate storage timeframes and coordinate cost-effective long-term solutions.
• Cargo Claims Management: In partnership with our cargo team, we evaluate salvage, transload needs, and damage assessments.
• Document Coordination: All paperwork is gathered, logged, and presented in a centralized format, streamlining internal workflows and regulatory compliance.

With decades of real-world experience in towing logistics and storage negotiations, Veritas resolves claims fast, without compromising accuracy.

Reducing Financial Losses Through Effective Claims Management

Unexpected towing events can cause more than just operational disruption—they can trigger cascading financial losses if not managed swiftly and precisely. That’s where effective claims management comes into play.

At Veritas, we streamline the claims process through specialized staff who understand the urgency of every delay. From the initial incident through final resolution, our dedicated teams ensure the entire process is handled with consistency, accuracy, and a focus on cost reduction.

We prioritize:

• Accurate claim assessments to eliminate unnecessary charges
• Full documentation and detailed records for transparency and compliance
• Coordinated communication with carriers and third-party vendors
• Actionable updates on claim status

The result? Successful claim resolution, improved efficiency, and measurable protection against revenue leakage.

By deploying proactive measures and reducing administrative burden, Veritas allows your team to stay focused on core operations, while we take control of the complexity behind towing and cargo incidents.

Improving Customer Experience with Communication and Control

In claims, customer satisfaction and customer trust are won or lost based on how information is handled. That’s why Veritas embeds effective communication into every layer of the claims handling process.

Our model ensures:

• Visibility throughout the claims management process
• Clear expectations and defined deliverables for all stakeholders
• Coordinated action across all parties for effective freight claims management

These systems not only improve claim process outcomes—they also build stronger customer relationships and provide much-needed peace of mind in high-stakes, time-sensitive situations.

From field adjusters to logistics experts, every Veritas representative is trained to uphold the highest standard of professionalism, responsiveness, and reliability. That’s how we reinforce customer experience through every claim, every time.

Common Red Flags to Watch for in Towing Invoices

Be proactive by recognizing billing red flags. These often signal inflated charges or predatory practices:

• Excessive daily storage rates
• Backdated storage timeframes
• Duplicate charges for labor and equipment
• Charges for “standby time” or miscellaneous fees
• Lack of signed release or chain-of-custody documentation

Always demand clear documentation. If you're unsure, escalate to a towing and storage resolution expert immediately.

What to Expect When Working with Veritas

Choosing Veritas means partnering with a highly specialized, nationwide team focused on reducing costs, improving claim outcomes, and simplifying your operational load.

Our towing and storage services include:

• Proactive communication with tow yards, law enforcement, and other carriers
• Complete towing invoice audits for compliance and cost recovery
• Salvage, re-tow, transload, and cargo coordination as needed
• Transparent payment workflows and aligned expectations for all parties

Whether your challenge is cargo claims management, resolving ongoing storage disputes, or handling a single high-stakes tow, we deliver comprehensive claims oversight built for commercial-scale needs.

Choose Speed, Expertise, and Control!

When a vehicle is towed, delay is your most expensive liability. Partnering with a third-party expert like Veritas eliminates the guesswork, reduces financial risk, and accelerates resolution.

Know your rights. Act fast. And work with a team that knows how to protect your position.

For tailored support managing towing and storage, or for help with storage resolution claims management, cargo claims, and beyond, Veritas is your dedicated partner.