Meet with a customer and load his/her vehicle safely and within a respectable time...

That's all you have to do if you're a tow truck driver, right? Actually, that's one of several things you need to do, before actually driving away with it and taking it across town, or across the Valley.

If you're reading this as the owner of another towing company across the United States, this post is for you.

Here are what we consider to be our top 10 tips to tow like a pro:

1. Ooze friendliness and care. Most people are more than happy to pay you for your services-- as long as they genuinely like you. Here's a hint... They'll definitely like you if you smile, look sharp, and show that you truly care about their situation.
2. Be mindful of the fact that they are probably rushed. Try to be quick, but engage them with you-- get their attention. Don't be overly rushed, but let your over the phone communication show the customer that you're aware that they don't want to spend all day chatting it up with you. Chances are they are late to be somewhere, as a result of the breakdown. Try to quote them a price quickly, while also making one, quick, memorable connection where you laugh together. This will help if they are the type of person that likes to call every company in the area. They'll remember you for the laugh, and come back to you for your business.
3. Be there when you say you will. Nothing is worse than waiting on someone who isn't there when they said they would be. In the world of towing, the importance of this is magnified. If something holds you up, always give a courtesy call to the customer and let them know.
4. Assess the area for safe conditions upon arrival, and proceed. Safety is always the first priority. When you arrive, make sure all work can be completed without the danger of being struck by passing traffic. Ensure the customer is as far from traffic as possible and that they remain in a protected area during the loading of the vehicle.
5. Greet them with a friendly attitude and demeanor. Explain the process quickly. Again, smile. When you arrive and meet face to face, greet them with a big, fat smile. Let your natural presence and personality express itself. We believe that to truly succeed in the towing industry, you have to always show that you care.
6. Hook-up the vehicle using standard safety procedures. Always use proper methods to load the vehicle onto the flatbed, and secure it accordingly. If you aren't already, get in the habit of double and triple checking your work. It's best to be extra cautious when hauling an automobile.
7. Travel to destination, providing transportation for customer, if necessary. Occasionally, the customer will need to ride with you in the tow truck from pick up to drop off. Some drivers keep cool beverages or snacks on their rig for this sort of situation. Be as accommodating as possible for your passengers.
8. Unload safely and efficiently. When dropping the vehicle, be extremely thorough and careful as you complete the job you're being paid for. Nothing is worse than spending all that time and effort, only to damage a vehicle during the unloading process.
9. Compliment the customer on something - nice car, great attitude, admirable patience. Simply one of life's best lessons... people love to think and talk about themselves. Find something you genuinely admire in them, and let them know. Even something as simple as, "I really like your shoes" can go a long way in leaving the customer with a positive compliment.
10. Thank them for their business and encourage them to leave a good review online. Let them know how thankful you are for their business and that you'd love it if they would let others know. In today's game, reviews are huge. The can make or break you. For this reason, it's important to try and earn as many as possible so that if you do get a bad review one day, it swims in a sea of many more good ones.

Here at San Tan Towing Pros, we try to live by those 10 tips. Our goal is to treat each and every customer like family, and continue to provide the best towing service in San Tan Valley. We guarantee you'll be blown away by our excellent customer service and awareness of what you need in your time of need.

Towing can be a great business, it can also be incredibly stressful. It all depends really, on what you have to deal with that day, and how things work either in your favor, or against you.

I got into the towing business in San Tan Valley, AZ when a friend of mine decided to sell his business, and I decided to buy it from him. I use to talk with him all the time about what it was like, and it always seemed like an interesting profession to me.

You get to meet new people every single day. Sometimes they love you and thank you for saving them from an unfortunate breakdown, other times they hate you, because tow truck drivers have a reputation for being scammy, scuzzy, overweight slobs that prey on people who don't park properly and gouge them out of their hard-earned money. While those guys definitely exist in the world, they aren't nearly as prominent as most people think. Heck, in my business, we don't even do impounding of any kind. All we do is help people get from A to B and fix the occasional flat tire or jump a dead battery.

It didn't take long for me to realize that a friendly smile and the ability to make someone laugh is all it takes to make your towing business grow. People aren't happy when they have to call you for a tow. If you can show them right away that you actually care about them, and you can make them see that it's not the end of the world when they need a tow truck, they'll like you. When they like you and you can make them laugh a bit, they'll be happy to leave you a great review and recommend you to their friends and family whenever they need your services in the future. Word of mouth is a powerful thing, and it's vital for the success of your towing business.

Another benefit to running a towing business for a living is that you get to see something new everyday, and you get to be outside for a lot of it. I was never someone who enjoyed sitting behind a desk, so getting into this business fit well with my personality.

Is it demanding? Definitely. People don't just need a tow truck from 8 am to 5 pm. Cars can breakdown anytime, even in the middle of the night, when you're asleep. You've got to be willing to fire up the truck and get out there at a second's notice.

It's a fun business that can be stressful at times, but also offer you something new and exciting each and every day. I'm someone who likes to learn and experience new challenges regularly. I'm also a people-person with a passion for compassion, and I believe that is the one skill set of mine that has helped to set me apart from most of the other towing companies in Arizona.

If you're someone thinking about starting up your own towing business, ask yourself a few key questions:

Are you good with people?

Can you be reliable at anytime, day or night?

Does it fit what you're looking for in a business?

If you can answer yes to all three of those questions, there's a good chance you can be successful as a tow truck operator.