With the big push for use of renewable energy and green business practices the towing industry has been making large strides in the field of green and renewable energy. The surprising fact is that while towing companies were hesitant to say the least, the tow owners have found the silver lining: efficiency equals profitability. The push has been coming at the tow industry from many angles and as tow truck outfits have discovered there are upsides to having a highly efficient tow truck fleet. Towing companies have been able to slash their fuel costs by as much as 35% in some instances.
The savings are pretty simple: the new high efficiency green technology tow trucks and service vehicles save on fuel. The implementation of using service vehicles came from a need to provide service at an affordable rate a few years ago. With the large increase in Triple A membership and the exponential rise in private auto insurance companies offering emergency roadside assistance as a low cost add on to their auto policies the need for a low cost high volume tow truck service has sky rocketed.
Towing services that offer extremely low prices can expect to be rewarded by motor clubs with a high volume of ERS calls. The concept is very simple: The lower the motor club pays for the towing service, the high profit margins. So price wars are off and the greasing of pockets begins in order to land high volume towing contracts. Receiving the contract is step one, the next step is to figure out how to make this high volume model profitable. This is where the tow industry turns to cut costs and increase it’s chances of staying alive.
Service vehicles were introduced as a low cost alternative to sending a tow truck to perform a simple task like changing a tire, performing a jump start service or unlocking a car door. Why send a large and slow vehicle like a tow truck when it really isn’t necessary? So in came the micro vehicles to take over the job. These ultra compact cars can speed around town in half the time while getting about three times the fuel economy of a standard tow truck.
More recently the hybrid diesel truck showed up on the scene. The Nissan medium duty brand UD has seemed to be the preferred medium duty truck to use as a flatbed tow truck. The San Diego Towing Network has taken advantage of Government Rebates and tax credits for business owners interested in using the hybrid diesel trucks. This is a local towing company in San Diego that provides flat tire repair in Chula Vista, CA and the Greater San Diego Area. The San Diego Green Business Network website provides good information for business owners interested in joining the cause.