Storage Fees & Notifications: What Towing Companies Must Legally Provide

Key Takeaways:

• Towing companies are legally obligated to provide prompt notification to vehicle/cargo owners, clear disclosure of daily storage rates, facility access policies, and an itemized breakdown of all associated fees; failure to comply can render fees unenforceable and lead to disputes.
• Common issues in commercial storage claims that drive up costs include missing or late notifications, disputes over start/release dates, incomplete/inflated invoices, facility inaccessibility, and a lack of transparency regarding administrative fees, all of which can significantly disrupt the towing and storage resolution process.
• Towing incidents involving commercial vehicles have a direct impact on cargo and liability claims; improper storage or delayed retrieval can trigger significant losses for perishable or high-value goods, making integrated cargo claims management and general liability risk assessment crucial.
• Poor storage oversight exposes businesses to substantial financial and operational risks, such as accrued excessive fees, cargo delivery delays, disputes from unauthorized towing, undocumented vehicle damage, and inaccurate invoicing, necessitating robust claims management to protect the bottom line.
• Effective management of storage claims requires proactive best practices like standardizing intake processes, demanding itemized invoices, implementing a 48-hour review window, integrating towing and cargo oversight, and partnering with a specialized third-party claims administrator like Veritas to ensure compliance, reduce costs, and protect assets.

In commercial towing events, the moment a vehicle is moved off-site is just the beginning. The real complexity—and risk—often surfaces during the storage phase. Unregulated fees, missing notifications, and inconsistent documentation can drive up costs, stall claims, and expose businesses to unnecessary liability.

At Veritas, we specialize in navigating the intersection of towing claims management, storage claims management, and regulatory compliance. Our mission is to protect clients from excessive charges and ensure vendors meet all legal requirements before storage fees are enforced.

What Are Towing Companies Legally Required to Provide?

Across jurisdictions, towing companies must follow strict protocols to charge and enforce storage fees. Failure to comply with these legal requirements can render fees unenforceable and potentially expose the towing provider to disputes, fines, or litigation.

Key legal requirements typically include:

• Prompt notification to vehicle or cargo owners within a defined window
• Clear disclosure of daily storage rates, including when they begin and if they escalate
• Location, hours, and access policies of the storage facility
• Complete breakdown of all associated fees—towing, equipment use, administrative, and storage
• Instructions for reclaiming the vehicle or cargo, and any documentation needed

If these requirements are not met, Veritas intervenes as a third-party claims administrator to contest unjustified charges and coordinate proper documentation.

Common Issues in Storage Claims That Drive Up Costs

In our experience resolving thousands of commercial storage claims, the most frequent cost drivers are not the tows themselves, but what happens afterward. Improper handling of the storage process leads to billing errors, compliance gaps, and preventable delays.

Top issues include:

• Missing or late notification of storage initiation
• Disputes over storage start dates versus vehicle release dates
• Incomplete or inflated invoices
• Inaccessibility of the facility, especially on weekends or holidays
• Lack of transparency around extra or administrative fees

These errors are often unintentional but can significantly disrupt the towing and storage resolution process. Our role is to catch and correct them before they escalate.

Impact on Cargo and Liability Claims

Towing incidents involving commercial vehicles often affect more than just the equipment—they also involve in-transit cargo, delivery timelines, and third-party stakeholders. Improper storage or delayed retrieval may trigger significant losses, especially for perishable, high-value, or time-sensitive goods.

Our integrated approach to cargo claims management ensures:

• Evaluation of potential cargo exposure during storage
• Coordination with tow yards and carriers for timely transload or salvage
• Documentation to support recovery, salvage, or secondary liability
• Identification of where general liability risk may arise (e.g., damaged or unsecured cargo)

With Veritas managing your claim, you don’t just resolve storage—you close every loop connected to the event.

The Financial and Operational Risks of Poor Storage Oversight

When tow truck operators fail to follow proper procedures, or when vehicle storage facilities impose undocumented or inflated fees, businesses are left absorbing the consequences. These challenges often extend far beyond a delayed delivery—they create serious ripple effects across your operations.

Common risks include:

• Accrued towing and storage-related fees with limited recourse
• Delays in cargo delivery due to inaccessible or non-compliant storage sites
• Disputes tied to unauthorized vehicle towing from public property or private lots
• Undocumented physical damage to vehicles or trailers during storage
• Invoicing without accurate estimates or breakdowns for towing fees and charges

At Veritas, our claims professionals reduce these exposures by conducting accurate claim assessments, working directly with vendors, and confirming fee structures against legal and contractual standards. We ensure that the cost of towing, storage, and associated expenses are justifiable—and that your team doesn’t waste time on preventable disputes.

Our mission is to protect your bottom line and operational integrity while accelerating your path to a successful claim resolution.

Enhancing Customer Experience with Smarter Storage Claims Management

Storage delays, surprise invoices, and unresolved liability disputes don’t just impact your internal team—they affect partners, clients, and stakeholders relying on your logistics performance. The longer the claim process drags on, the greater the risk to service levels and customer satisfaction.

That’s why Veritas emphasizes speed, structure, and proactive handling in every case. Our approach to storage services and claims process management includes:

• Minimizing the administrative burden for your staff by taking over vendor communication
• Coordinating across service lines (appraisal, subrogation, cargo, and GL) for seamless handling
• Validating compliance with reasonable storage fees and supporting accurate estimates of recovery timelines
• Delivering real-time visibility into claim status and resolution steps for faster decision-making

With Veritas, you don’t just resolve the issue—you protect the client relationship and enhance long-term customer experience across your operation.

Best Practices for Managing Storage Claims Effectively

Avoiding unnecessary storage expenses starts with a proactive, structured approach. Below are proven strategies that help reduce cost, streamline documentation, and support faster claim turnaround.

Key best practices:

• Standardize your storage intake process across internal teams or regional partners
• Require vendors to submit itemized invoices with all storage charges clearly explained
• Implement a 48-hour review window for all new storage events
• Keep a running log of notification timelines for compliance review
• Integrate towing claims management and cargo oversight into a single workflow when applicable

These simple measures can drastically reduce resolution time, eliminate disputes, and reinforce consistency across your claims management process.

How Veritas Supports Complete Towing and Storage Resolution

As a national leader in towing and storage resolution, Veritas provides hands-on support from first notification through claim closure. Our team of adjusters, specialists, and analysts actively reduces your administrative burden while ensuring every claim is closed accurately, promptly, and in full compliance.

We support our clients through:

• Full auditing of towing and storage documentation
• Verification of reasonable storage fees and compliance with local regulations
• Cross-functional coordination for cargo claims management and general liability exposure
• Real-time updates, centralized reporting, and transparent communication throughout

Most importantly, we adapt our services to your needs—whether you need case-by-case support or a scalable program across regions and claims teams.

Ensure Storage Accuracy from the Start

Storage fees shouldn't be a mystery. They should be documented, justified, and regulated. And they should never create a bottleneck in your claims management process.

With Veritas as your third-party claims administrator, you get a proven partner that understands towing compliance, supports operational efficiency, and keeps your claims moving forward. Get in touch with Veritas to take control of your towing and storage claims—with clarity, speed, and confidence.