The first minute of a tow call is the job. Name the road, whether the car moves, and who else is already on scene. This line does not publish an arrival window. The independent operator who takes the pickup gives the estimate for that pin.

Driver beside a stalled sedan on a San Diego shoulder, on the phone at dusk

Start with the road, not the city

“San Diego” is not a location a driver can route to.

  • On a freeway: the number (I-5, I-8, I-15, I-805, SR-52, SR-94, SR-125), the direction, the nearest exit or the small green mile marker.
  • On a street: two cross streets, not just the neighborhood.
  • If you are in a lot, an alley, a garage, or behind a gate, say that. A long flatbed does not fit the same places a wheel-lift does.

If the car is in a live lane, not on the shoulder, say that in the first sentence. That is when 911 or CHP belongs in the same breath as the tow. Safety steps are in what to do if your car breaks down on the freeway. How wait actually works, with no invented minutes, is in how long a tow truck takes in San Diego.

Then the three mechanical facts

  1. Does the engine start, even for a moment
  2. Do the wheels roll, and does the steering turn
  3. Do you have the keys, or is the wheel locked

A jump or a spare is roadside assistance. A car that will not move is emergency towing. Say year, make, and model. Say if it is lowered, electric, or hooked to a trailer. Do not offer a friend with a strap on I-5 or the Coronado Bridge.

Say who is already there

If CHP, Caltrans, or Freeway Service Patrol is on scene, say so. FSP is free help on some San Diego freeways, run by SANDAG with Caltrans and the CHP. SANDAG’s published figure is about nine minutes average dispatch on patrolled segments. That is SANDAG’s number, not this line’s arrival promise.

FSP hours, per SANDAG: weekdays 5:30-9:30 a.m., 9:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m., and 2:30-6:30 p.m.; weekends 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Not available on federal holidays. Midday and weekend service does not run on SR 905 or SR 11. Request it by calling 511 and saying “Roadside Assistance.”

If the car is already gone, this is no longer a tow call. Use find your towed car in San Diego.

A Spanish-language version of this call script is at qué decir cuando pide una grúa.

The short list

Have these ready:

  • Freeway or street, direction, exit or cross streets
  • Live lane, shoulder, lot, alley, or garage
  • Whether the car rolls, starts, and has keys
  • Year, make, model
  • Destination: shop, home, or still deciding
  • Whether CHP, Caltrans, or FSP is already there
  • Gate or HOA instructions if the pickup is not on a public street

The operator who takes the job sets the price and the arrival window for that pickup. The line takes calls 24 hours at (858) 923-5787.