Report: Predatory Towing a Big Issue

The vast majority of carriers have faced predatory towing practices, according to a recent report. 

For example, an estimated 83 percent of carriers say they’ve had to pay excessive towing rates, according to an American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI) analysis released Nov. 29. 

Unwarranted extra service charges also loomed large, with just under 82 percent of carriers raising it as a concern. Other complaints raised were “truck release or access delays, cargo release delays, truck seizure without cause, and tows misreported as consensual.” 

ATRI scrutinized towing records, finding that nearly 30 percent of invoices had excessive rates or extra charges. 

One issue raised in the report is that towing rules can oftentimes vary depending on the location of a carrier because of a “patchwork of municipal, county, and state regulations.” 

The document also contains tips for companies to review invoices and catch any extra charges, as well as dispute incident accounts.