Towing Service
If you find yourself stranded because of an accident, a flat tire or mechanical problems with your car, you likely need a tow truck. Smitty Big Towing & Recovery is available 24/7, across the St Paul Minneapolis metro area, to help you. We offer a wide range of roadside towing services for your vehicle at the best prices in the Twin Cities.
Obviously, most people don’t plan to break down, have a flat tire, or face mechanical issues with their vehicle. However, some people plan ahead if they find themselves in that situation. That’s what we recommend you do!
Put our phone number in your cell phone. Print our business card (below) and place a copy in the glove box of each car you have. (Just putting our number in your phone isn’t enough. Your phone may be out of battery or you may not have it on you or, with an accident, it might fly out of the car). Teach each of your children, of driving age, to do the same thing. Because the last thing you want your teenage daughter to do when she has her first flat tire on I-94 is call her 16-year-old boyfriend to come to her rescue!
How long does it take to receive towing in St Paul?
Generally, when anyone calls a tow truck there will be a wait time. At Smitty Big Towing we give honest, up front estimates of how long it will take us to get to you. Once you determine you want us to come tow your vehicle, wait for us.
In order to expedite our service for you, here’s a checklist of things to do:
BEFORE YOU CALL US
Assess your situation. Are there any special circumstances or requirements, such as loose or extensively damaged parts, that may require special care? Do NOT walk into traffic to pull it out of the way; just take notice so that you can tell us when you call us.
Determine where you are so you can give us your location, as exactly as possible. This will minimize any delay while trying to find you.
WHEN WE ARRIVE
Your personal safety and the safety of our tow truck operators is our #1 on-site priority. We realize that the transport of your vehicle can be a stressful situation and our tow trucks drivers take every care to minimize this stress, while maintaining a safe environment, at all times. We respectfully request that you treat your tow truck driver with the respect you want to be treated with, even in this emotionally taxing situation. He is a trained professional and knows the risks of working alongside an active roadway.
If you need to make the tow truck driver aware of something that you feel is important please wait until he is not distracted and get his attention from a safe distance. After he is sure that your vehicle is in a safe position, the tow truck driver will take your requests into consideration.
Please stand back, away from the equipment while your vehicle is being loaded and transported. Our insurance does not allow clients to take part in the towing process. This is to ensure that you are not injured. If we require additional help, we will make arrangements in accordance with our insurance and within the guidelines allowed by the State of Minnesota.
Please do not enter your vehicle for any reason unless the tow truck driver has indicated that it is safe to do so. If your vehicle is in a precarious location, such as on an active highway or intersection, please do not distract the driver. We value his safety and yours and the safety of the passengers in other cars which may be around.
The employees of Smitty Big Towing & Recovery are professionals with many years of experience in the safe and reliable transportation of vehicles and equipment. Our employees’ safety is of utmost concern and are directed not to enter or leave situations where their safety may be in jeopardy. (Sadly, just as there are scam artists who try to take advantage of people with broken-down cars, there are scam artists who try to take advantage of tow truck drivers by luring them into unsafe situations).
Who is the “Tow Truck Bandit”?
You may have a tow truck pull up right behind you in a matter of minutes. The tow truck driver comes up to your vehicle and tells you he just happened to be driving by. You’ll likely think to yourself, “Wow! How’d I get so lucky?” What you should actually think is, “How did I get so UNLUCKY?” This guy, called a “bandit” in the towing industry, is a scam artist and you’ve just entered his scam.
”Do you have a repair shop?” he’ll ask. Even if you do, he can get you a better deal because he has business relationships with shops around the Twin Cities. Why don’t you just let him take your vehicle to Bobo’s Auto Repair in South St Paul and he, the tow truck driver, will hook you up with a sweet deal. Before you can even think this might not be on the up-and-up you will have signed his authorization form, and your problems are just about to begin. That wreck, flat tire, or mechanical issue you thought was the low point of your day, just got lower.
We know waiting for the tow truck is the equivalent of waiting in the doctor’s lobby…it seems forever before it’s your turn or the tow truck arrives. But truthfully, it’s not as long as it feels and, in the end, you will be much safer by waiting for us.
The Coalition Against Insurance Fraud offers this advice:
Document signing. Sign only the approval form authorizing a tow to a designated body shop. Avoid signing other forms.
Make sure the name and address on the form are the same as the signage on the tow truck.
When signing the form, sign below the dollar amount quoted on the form, not necessarily on the bottom of the document. After you’ve signed at the bottom of the document, the tow truck firm might fill in the blanks with inflated fees and the destination of a dishonest body shop.
Price list. Make sure the tow truck firm gives you a printed price list that includes towing and daily storage fees, plus other miscellaneous charges. You’ll also want printed documentation of where the vehicle is being towed.
Damage report. Make sure the tow truck driver creates and signs a damage report at the accident scene. You should get a copy.
Use credit cards. Refuse to deal with a towing operator who requires cash payment only.
Keep insurance info private. Never give the tow truck operator your insurance information or other personal information. A dishonest towing firm or body shop might use this information to contact you and impersonate the insurance company.
Photos. Use your cell phone camera to take photos of the scene, including a picture of the tow truck. If you don’t have a smart phone, keep a disposable camera in your glove box.
Complain. File complaints if you’re scammed. Contact your insurer, your state office [ In Minnesota, contact the Minnesota Department of Commerce Fraud Bureau, ] the local Better Business Bureau and the police.
Hopefully, we’ve demonstrated why you should not engage a tow truck driver other than the one you call for roadside assistance.
If you’re in search of a cheap tow truck service that is also local, professional and open 24 hours, you’ve found us: Smitty Big Towing & Recovery! Give us a shout: 651.955.6475.
Smitty Big Towing & Recovery is a locally owned, family operated company that provides professional towing & roadside assistance services to the residents of St Paul, Minneapolis and the Twin Cities MN metro area.
Our Services
Our Location
1821 University Ave W.
Suite 261-2
St. Paul MN 55104