A tow costs less for a short pull off a Midtown side street and more for a flatbed run out to Collierville or a breakdown mid-span on one of the river bridges. Distance, vehicle weight, and the type of tow move the number more than anything else. Call us and we quote a flat rate over the phone before a truck ever leaves the yard, so you know the total before anyone touches your car.
What actually moves the price of a tow
Four things decide what a tow costs, and none of them is a mystery.
Distance is the biggest one. A tow from a Midtown driveway to a shop two miles away costs less than a flatbed haul out to Collierville or Lakeland, or a run across the Hernando de Soto or Memphis & Arkansas bridge into West Memphis. Vehicle class matters too. A sedan is a faster, lighter job than a loaded pickup or a semi off the Lamar Avenue corridor, and heavier vehicles need bigger equipment and more time on scene.
The tow method changes the price as well. A wheel-lift truck handles a straightforward front-wheel-drive car quickly. An all-wheel-drive SUV, a Tesla, a lowered car, or anything with visible damage usually needs a flatbed, which takes longer to load and costs more to run. Time of day plays a role too. A 2 a.m. call from the shoulder of I-240 costs differently than an afternoon pickup from a hotel lot near Beale Street, since overnight and holiday calls carry higher dispatch costs across the industry. Memphis runs a real overnight economy of its own: the FedEx sort at the airport keeps trucks and cars moving through the 2-to-4 a.m. window every night, and a fair share of our emergency towing calls land right in that stretch.
Memphis adds its own wrinkles on top of those four. The city sits on two Mississippi River crossings, the Hernando de Soto Bridge carrying I-40 and the Memphis & Arkansas Bridge carrying I-55, and a breakdown mid-span means a longer, more careful response than a stall on a surface street. The I-240 loop and the Lamar Avenue/US-78 truck corridor see steady heavy-duty demand from the freight traffic that runs through the city around the clock. Event nights on Beale Street or a full house at Graceland can slow a truck’s approach the same way a French Quarter parade would in another city, so we build that into the estimate up front instead of surprising you with it later.
The wrecker rules that actually apply
Memphis doesn’t hand out towing licenses the way a state licenses a contractor, and there’s no single published, citywide dollar rate card for what a wrecker charges on an ordinary tow. What the city does regulate, closely, is who’s allowed to operate a wrecker inside the city at all and how that company has to behave once it’s on scene.
Any company running wrecker or emergency wrecker service inside Memphis city limits has to be approved by the Memphis Transportation Commission, and a company on the MPD Wrecker Rotation list has to answer a dispatch call within 30 minutes or it drops to the bottom of the rotation. Hourly billing is restricted to Class B and C nonconsensual emergency wreckers that are actually in use or held on scene by an officer's order. Storage charges on a rotation tow don't start accruing until 24 hours after the vehicle is impounded. A company found guilty of overcharging has to reimburse everything paid, or release the car with no charge at all. Source: City of Memphis Wrecker Rules and Regulations.
That last point is the one worth remembering if you’re ever staring at a number that feels wrong on a nonconsensual tow, one somebody else ordered, a landlord, a property manager, or the police. The city built a real remedy into the rules, not just a suggestion. None of this is our pricing, though. It’s the framework that governs a rotation or nonconsensual wrecker call. If you’re reading this because you need a truck for your own car right now, this section is context, not your bill.
If your car is already at the city lot
There’s a separate, much simpler set of numbers if your car already sits at the Memphis Police Department’s Vehicle Storage Lot, whether it went there through an MPD tow, a Shelby County Sheriff’s tow, or a Housing and Community Development tow. All three route through the same facility.
465 Klinke Avenue, Memphis, TN 38127. Open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Impound fee: $135. Storage: $30 per day. Cash and credit card accepted. Call (901) 636-8200 to confirm your car is there before you drive out.
To get the car out, the registered owner needs proof of ownership (current registration, title, or lease agreement), the plate number or VIN, and a valid photo ID, plus a licensed driver to take it away or an arranged tow. A non-owner picking up the car needs a notarized statement from the registered owner. That’s a city fee for a city-directed tow, not a Quick Tow Memphis price. It’s the number you’ll actually see if a tow already happened and you’re trying to get the car back.
What actually decides your quote
When you call Quick Tow Memphis for your own breakdown, accident, or lockout, the price comes down to the same four factors from the top of this article: how far the truck has to drive, what kind of vehicle you’re in, whether it needs a flatbed or a wheel-lift, and what time it is. A short local tow off an East Memphis street costs less than a long run out past Arlington or Piperton. A standard sedan costs less to move than a heavy-duty work truck off Lamar. Our Memphis towing cost breakdown walks through typical ranges by tow type if you want more detail before you call.
We also give you an honest answer if your car broke down across a state line. A tow that starts in Southaven or Horn Lake falls under Mississippi’s rules, not Tennessee’s, and a tow that starts in West Memphis or Marion falls under Arkansas’s. We still roll the truck either way, we just won’t pretend Tennessee’s rules apply somewhere they don’t.
We build the number over the phone, ask where you are and what you’re driving, and give you one flat rate before the truck rolls. There’s no meter running, no surprise mileage charge tacked on after the fact, and no separate fee for showing up overnight, during a Beale Street event weekend, or on a holiday that we didn’t already tell you about.
Why we quote flat, before the truck rolls
A flat-rate quote protects you and it protects us. You know the number before you commit, and our driver doesn’t have to negotiate on your street or in a parking garage at midnight. Want a ballpark before you dial? Run it through our tow cost calculator first. Otherwise, call (858) 925-5546, tell us where you are and what you’re driving, and we’ll give you a number before anyone gets in a truck.
Frequently asked questions
What do the city’s wrecker rules actually cover?
They govern who’s allowed to run a wrecker inside Memphis, the 30-minute response standard for a rotation call, and the remedy if a company overcharges: full reimbursement or a free release. They don’t publish a citywide dollar rate for an ordinary tow.
Does that apply to a tow I call myself?
No. Those rules govern a nonconsensual or rotation tow, one someone else ordered, a landlord, a property manager, or the police. A private tow you call for a breakdown, lockout, or accident is priced by distance, vehicle type, and time, and we quote that number to you directly before dispatch.
What if my car is already at the MPD Vehicle Storage Lot?
That’s a separate, published fee: $135 impound plus $30 a day storage, at 465 Klinke Avenue. Call (901) 636-8200 first to confirm your car is actually there before you make the drive.
Can a wrecker company overcharge me?
Under the city’s rules, a company found guilty of overcharging on a rotation tow has to reimburse everything paid or release the vehicle at no charge. Complaints go to the Permits Administrator or Wrecker Coordinator.
Why does a flatbed cost more than a wheel-lift tow?
A flatbed lifts all four wheels off the ground, which takes longer to load and unload than a wheel-lift hookup. It’s the right call for all-wheel-drive vehicles, EVs, lowered cars, and anything with visible damage, which is why it usually runs higher than a straightforward wheel-lift tow.
Will the price change if I’m calling from Southaven or West Memphis?
The truck still comes. A tow starting in Southaven or Horn Lake falls under Mississippi law, and one starting in West Memphis or Marion falls under Arkansas law, not Tennessee’s, so we tell you that up front instead of quoting you Tennessee specifics that don’t apply.