A car or light-truck tow with us costs $4 per loaded mile on top of a hook-up fee — $85 within 5 loaded miles, stepping up to $100 past 21. A 10-mile tow is $90 + $40 = $130; a 50-mile tow is $300. The rate is the same at any hour, and you hear the whole number before the truck rolls.
Call dispatch — (414) 279-5510"How much per mile?" is how most people start pricing a tow — and it is the right instinct, because a per-mile rate is only half of the bill. Here is how the two parts add up, what counts as a mile, and what the total comes to at four common distances.
What a "loaded mile" is
A loaded mile is a mile your vehicle travels on the tow truck — from where it sits to where it is going. So the number that sets the per-mile part of the price is simple: pickup to drop-off, measured on the route the truck drives. The drive our truck makes to reach you is not a loaded mile: it is free for the first 22 miles, and on a far-out pickup each empty mile past that is $1.
The two parts of the price
Every car or light-truck tow is a hook-up fee, which covers loading and securing the vehicle and steps up a little with distance, plus $4 for every loaded mile, counted from the first. Nothing changes after dark, on weekends or on holidays.
Worked examples: 5, 10, 25 and 50 miles
Hook-up for the band, plus $4 × the loaded miles.
5 loaded miles — $105
A tow from a dead car in a parking lot to the shop around the corner. The 0–5 mile hook-up is $85, plus 5 × $4 = $20. Total: $105.
10 loaded miles — $130
Across town to your own mechanic. Ten miles sits in the 6–12 band, so the hook-up is $90, plus 10 × $4 = $40. Total: $130.
25 loaded miles — $200
Out to the suburbs or a dealer on the far side of the county. The 21+ band hook-up is $100, plus 25 × $4 = $100. Total: $200.
50 loaded miles — $300
A long haul home or to a specialist. Still the $100 hook-up, plus 50 × $4 = $200. Total: $300 — and the average cost per mile falls to $6, from $21 on the 5-mile tow.
When the price is not per mile
The per-mile rate applies to moving a car or light truck. Three kinds of call are priced another way:
- •Roadside help (jump start, lockout, fuel delivery, a tire change onto your spare) is not per-mile at all: it starts at $75 within 10 miles and steps up by distance band, with no mileage charge on top.
- •Accident towing is priced by damage type, not distance alone: from $95 for front, rear or side damage, $125 for a total loss and $300 for a rollover recovery.
- •Semis, buses and heavy equipment are quoted to the job — the machine, the weight and the route set the price, and the dispatcher reads it to you before a truck moves.
What insurance and motor clubs usually cover
Many auto policies and roadside plans include some towing, often up to a set number of miles, and a plan's limit is usually counted in the same loaded miles. Coverage differs from policy to policy, so ask your adjuster or plan one question before the tow: "is towing covered, and up to how many miles?" That answer, and the per-mile rate above, tell you what you would owe past the limit. This is practical experience, not insurance advice.
Towing per mile — FAQ
How much is a tow per mile in Milwaukee?
$4 per loaded mile, on top of a hook-up fee that starts at $85 within 5 loaded miles. The same rate applies at 3 a.m. as at 3 p.m. — for example, a 10-mile tow is $90 + $40 = $130. Call (414) 279-5510 for your exact number.
What is a "loaded mile"?
A mile your car travels on (or behind) the tow truck, from pickup to drop-off. The drive our truck makes to reach you is not a loaded mile: it costs nothing for the first 22 miles, and each empty mile beyond that is $1.
Is a long tow cheaper per mile?
Per mile, yes. The hook-up rises only from $85 to $100 across the distance bands while the $4 per-mile rate stays flat, so the fixed part is spread over more miles: a 5-mile tow works out to $21 a mile, a 50-mile tow to $6.
Does the price change at night or on weekends?
Not for a car or light truck tow: the hook-up bands and the $4 per loaded mile are the same every hour of every day, and the full price is quoted before the truck rolls. Call (414) 279-5510.