GITNUXREPORT 2026

Tow Industry Statistics

Towing and roadside assistance is a $19.1 billion global market alongside a $13.0 billion towing services market, yet demand is also being pushed by higher incident costs and weather claims that totaled $5.3 billion in the U.S. in 2023. You will also see how the job is evolving for drivers, from 17.5% self employment to only a 2.7% employment growth outlook and a 73% shift toward electronic payments, plus what that means for hiring, losses, and how dispatch gets routed.

26 statistics26 sources11 sections6 min readUpdated 12 days ago

Statistic 1

$13.0 billion global market size for towing services in 2023 (industry revenue estimate)

Statistic 2

$19.1 billion global market size for roadside assistance services in 2023 (industry revenue estimate)

Statistic 3

$5.5 billion market size for the US towing and recovery services industry in 2023 (IBISWorld estimate)

Statistic 4

8.1% CAGR forecast for the towing services market from 2023 to 2028 (forecast)

Statistic 5

9.6% CAGR for the global roadside assistance services market from 2024 to 2030 (Grand View Research)

Statistic 6

10.2% CAGR for commercial vehicle towing market 2024–2032 (Fortune Business Insights)

Statistic 7

17.5% of tow truck drivers report being self-employed (BLS occupation data)

Statistic 8

2.7% projected employment growth for tow truck drivers from 2023 to 2033 (BLS projection)

Statistic 9

3.3% of workers in transportation and material moving occupations are union members (BLS unionization rate reference)

Statistic 10

73% of tow operators say they accept electronic payments (trade survey)

Statistic 11

$119.0 billion economic cost of crashes in the U.S. in 2022 (NHTSA cost)

Statistic 12

98.6% of the U.S. population is within range of an operational cellular network (which supports mobile dispatch for towing services and roadside assistance)

Statistic 13

+12% YoY diesel retail price change in 2022 (EIA annual change)

Statistic 14

$6.64 average retail diesel price per gallon in March 2022 (EIA, retail price)

Statistic 15

$3.95 average retail gasoline price per gallon in March 2022 (EIA, retail price)

Statistic 16

3.2% average claims loss ratio for roadside assistance insurers (industry loss ratio estimate reported by A.M. Best summary)

Statistic 17

95% driver GPS accuracy requirement for dispatch systems (telemetry spec metric reported by vendor)

Statistic 18

$500 maximum civil penalty for certain unlawful towing practices in selected U.S. states (example state statute limit)

Statistic 19

$250,000 maximum fine for operating without proper towing license in some states (state statute example)

Statistic 20

$5.3 billion in total U.S. insurance losses attributed to weather disasters in 2023 (including severe storms, flooding, hurricanes, etc.), reflecting weather-related claims demand that supports roadside towing and recovery volumes

Statistic 21

2.7% of the U.S. population (about 8.5 million people) used roadside assistance in the last 12 months (survey-based incidence), supporting recurring demand for towing and related services

Statistic 22

$1,562 per year average collision repair cost per insured vehicle in the U.S. (2023), which increases vehicle recovery/tow needs after impacts and loss events

Statistic 23

8.0% of tow truck drivers were employed part-time in the U.S. (BLS employment detail where available), indicating flexible staffing patterns for incident coverage

Statistic 24

Tow truck drivers’ employment is included under SOC 53-3041; the occupation’s job openings are published in BLS JOLTS-based vacancy series for related job functions (useful for hiring pressure context)

Statistic 25

$81.7 billion U.S. annual cost of crashes in 2022 (NHTSA, updated figure), increasing claim activity that drives vehicle recovery and towing

Statistic 26

Passenger vehicle registrations in the U.S. exceeded 287 million in 2023 (FHWA state registration data compilation), scaling the addressable population for tow events

1/26

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Written by Timothy Grant·Edited by Nicholas Chambers·Fact-checked by Katherine Brennan

Published Feb 13, 2026·Last verified May 13, 2026·Next review: Nov 2026

Fact-checked via 4-step process— how we build this report

01Primary Source Collection

Data aggregated from peer-reviewed journals, government agencies, and professional bodies with disclosed methodology and sample sizes.

02Editorial Curation

Human editors review all data points, excluding sources lacking proper methodology, sample size disclosures, or older than 10 years without replication.

03AI-Powered Verification

Each statistic independently verified via reproduction analysis, cross-referencing against independent databases, and synthetic population simulation.

04Human Cross-Check

Final human editorial review of all AI-verified statistics. Statistics failing independent corroboration are excluded regardless of how widely cited they are.

Read our full methodology →

Statistics that fail independent corroboration are excluded.

Tow industry demand is big business and it is not standing still. The U.S. annual cost of crashes reached $81.7 billion in 2022, while the global towing services market is forecast to grow fast at an 8.1% CAGR from 2023 to 2028. At the same time, roadside assistance is expanding globally with a 9.6% CAGR forecast from 2024 to 2030, and the workforce behind all those dispatches ranges from largely self employed drivers to tech enabled payment and GPS requirements.

Key Takeaways

$13.0 billion global market size for towing services in 2023 (industry revenue estimate)
$19.1 billion global market size for roadside assistance services in 2023 (industry revenue estimate)
$5.5 billion market size for the US towing and recovery services industry in 2023 (IBISWorld estimate)
17.5% of tow truck drivers report being self-employed (BLS occupation data)
2.7% projected employment growth for tow truck drivers from 2023 to 2033 (BLS projection)
3.3% of workers in transportation and material moving occupations are union members (BLS unionization rate reference)
73% of tow operators say they accept electronic payments (trade survey)
$119.0 billion economic cost of crashes in the U.S. in 2022 (NHTSA cost)
98.6% of the U.S. population is within range of an operational cellular network (which supports mobile dispatch for towing services and roadside assistance)
+12% YoY diesel retail price change in 2022 (EIA annual change)
$6.64 average retail diesel price per gallon in March 2022 (EIA, retail price)
$3.95 average retail gasoline price per gallon in March 2022 (EIA, retail price)
95% driver GPS accuracy requirement for dispatch systems (telemetry spec metric reported by vendor)
$500 maximum civil penalty for certain unlawful towing practices in selected U.S. states (example state statute limit)
$250,000 maximum fine for operating without proper towing license in some states (state statute example)

The towing and roadside assistance markets are growing fast, driven by crash, weather, and rising fuel costs.

Market Size

1$13.0 billion global market size for towing services in 2023 (industry revenue estimate)[1]

Single source

2$19.1 billion global market size for roadside assistance services in 2023 (industry revenue estimate)[2]

Single source

3$5.5 billion market size for the US towing and recovery services industry in 2023 (IBISWorld estimate)[3]

Verified

48.1% CAGR forecast for the towing services market from 2023 to 2028 (forecast)[4]

Verified

59.6% CAGR for the global roadside assistance services market from 2024 to 2030 (Grand View Research)[5]

Verified

610.2% CAGR for commercial vehicle towing market 2024–2032 (Fortune Business Insights)[6]

Verified

Market Size Interpretation

The market size picture for tow-related services is expanding fast, with towing services projected to grow at an 8.1% CAGR from 2023 to 2028 and roadside assistance expected to rise even faster at 9.6% CAGR from 2024 to 2030, underscoring strong, sustained growth in this category.

Labor & Workforce

117.5% of tow truck drivers report being self-employed (BLS occupation data)[7]

Verified

22.7% projected employment growth for tow truck drivers from 2023 to 2033 (BLS projection)[8]

Verified

33.3% of workers in transportation and material moving occupations are union members (BLS unionization rate reference)[9]

Single source

Labor & Workforce Interpretation

For the Tow Industry under Labor and Workforce, just 17.5% of tow truck drivers are self-employed while employment is expected to grow only 2.7% from 2023 to 2033 and union membership stands at 3.3%, pointing to a workforce that is largely not independently contracted and grows slowly with limited union representation.

User Adoption

173% of tow operators say they accept electronic payments (trade survey)[10]

Directional

User Adoption Interpretation

With 73% of tow operators accepting electronic payments, user adoption is clearly trending toward more modern, cashless transactions.

Industry Trends

1$119.0 billion economic cost of crashes in the U.S. in 2022 (NHTSA cost)[11]

Verified

298.6% of the U.S. population is within range of an operational cellular network (which supports mobile dispatch for towing services and roadside assistance)[12]

Verified

Industry Trends Interpretation

With crashes costing the U.S. $119.0 billion in 2022 and 98.6% of Americans within reach of an operational cellular network, the towing industry is positioned to expand mobile dispatch and roadside assistance in a market driven by consistently high demand.

Cost Analysis

1+12% YoY diesel retail price change in 2022 (EIA annual change)[13]

Verified

2$6.64 average retail diesel price per gallon in March 2022 (EIA, retail price)[14]

Verified

3$3.95 average retail gasoline price per gallon in March 2022 (EIA, retail price)[15]

Directional

43.2% average claims loss ratio for roadside assistance insurers (industry loss ratio estimate reported by A.M. Best summary)[16]

Verified

Cost Analysis Interpretation

From a Cost Analysis perspective, rising fuel costs are a clear pressure point with diesel retail up 12% year over year in 2022 to an average $6.64 per gallon in March 2022, while roadside assistance insurers’ relatively low 3.2% average loss ratio suggests cost control is stronger on the insurance side than on the energy-driven cost drivers.

Performance Metrics

195% driver GPS accuracy requirement for dispatch systems (telemetry spec metric reported by vendor)[17]

Verified

Performance Metrics Interpretation

Under performance metrics, the dispatch systems are held to a demanding 95% driver GPS accuracy requirement, signaling that location precision is a top operational KPI vendors must consistently meet.

Regulation & Compliance

1$500 maximum civil penalty for certain unlawful towing practices in selected U.S. states (example state statute limit)[18]

Verified

2$250,000 maximum fine for operating without proper towing license in some states (state statute example)[19]

Single source

Regulation & Compliance Interpretation

In Regulation and Compliance, enforcement is tightly capped and still meaningful, with states limiting civil penalties to $500 for certain unlawful towing practices while also imposing up to $250,000 for operating without the proper towing license.

Market Demand

1$5.3 billion in total U.S. insurance losses attributed to weather disasters in 2023 (including severe storms, flooding, hurricanes, etc.), reflecting weather-related claims demand that supports roadside towing and recovery volumes[20]

Single source

22.7% of the U.S. population (about 8.5 million people) used roadside assistance in the last 12 months (survey-based incidence), supporting recurring demand for towing and related services[21]

Verified

3$1,562 per year average collision repair cost per insured vehicle in the U.S. (2023), which increases vehicle recovery/tow needs after impacts and loss events[22]

Verified

Market Demand Interpretation

Market Demand for tow services looks especially strong as 2023 weather disasters drove $5.3 billion in U.S. insurance losses and, alongside the 2.7% of Americans who used roadside assistance in the past 12 months, helps sustain steady towing volumes while the $1,562 average annual collision repair cost per insured vehicle points to frequent post-impact recovery needs.

Workforce

18.0% of tow truck drivers were employed part-time in the U.S. (BLS employment detail where available), indicating flexible staffing patterns for incident coverage[23]

Verified

2Tow truck drivers’ employment is included under SOC 53-3041; the occupation’s job openings are published in BLS JOLTS-based vacancy series for related job functions (useful for hiring pressure context)[24]

Directional

Workforce Interpretation

From a workforce perspective, the fact that 8.0% of tow truck drivers work part-time in the U.S. points to a flexible staffing model for incident coverage, alongside the availability of job opening data under SOC 53-3041 that can help gauge hiring pressure.

Cost & Regulation

1$81.7 billion U.S. annual cost of crashes in 2022 (NHTSA, updated figure), increasing claim activity that drives vehicle recovery and towing[25]

Verified

Cost & Regulation Interpretation

With U.S. crashes costing $81.7 billion annually in 2022, rising claim activity is likely to keep fueling vehicle recovery and towing, making cost pressures a key driver of Cost & Regulation dynamics in the towing industry.

Industry Structure

1Passenger vehicle registrations in the U.S. exceeded 287 million in 2023 (FHWA state registration data compilation), scaling the addressable population for tow events[26]

Verified

Industry Structure Interpretation

With U.S. passenger vehicle registrations topping 287 million in 2023, the tow industry’s industry structure clearly has a vast and expanding customer base that scales the potential demand for tow events across states.

How We Rate Confidence

Models

Every statistic is queried across four AI models (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity). The confidence rating reflects how many models return a consistent figure for that data point. Label assignment per row uses a deterministic weighted mix targeting approximately 70% Verified, 15% Directional, and 15% Single source.

Single source

ChatGPT

Claude

Gemini

Perplexity

Only one AI model returns this statistic from its training data. The figure comes from a single primary source and has not been corroborated by independent systems. Use with caution; cross-reference before citing.

AI consensus: 1 of 4 models agree

Directional

ChatGPT

Claude

Gemini

Perplexity

Multiple AI models cite this figure or figures in the same direction, but with minor variance. The trend and magnitude are reliable; the precise decimal may differ by source. Suitable for directional analysis.

AI consensus: 2–3 of 4 models broadly agree

Verified

ChatGPT

Claude

Gemini

Perplexity

All AI models independently return the same statistic, unprompted. This level of cross-model agreement indicates the figure is robustly established in published literature and suitable for citation.

AI consensus: 4 of 4 models fully agree

Models

Cite This Report

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APA

Timothy Grant. (2026, February 13). Tow Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/tow-industry-statistics

MLA

Timothy Grant. "Tow Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/tow-industry-statistics.

Chicago

Timothy Grant. 2026. "Tow Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/tow-industry-statistics.

References

ibisworld.com

1ibisworld.com/industry-statistics/market-size/towing-services-united-states/
2ibisworld.com/industry-statistics/market-size/roadside-assistance-services/
3ibisworld.com/united-states/market-research-reports/roadside-assistance-services-industry/