tow truck driver

What the work can involve

The work combines driving, vehicle recovery and roadside safety. The driver assesses vehicle damage, positions the tow truck, secures the vehicle, plans the route and supports the customer or authority handover.

Skills and specializations

Useful depth includes towtruck operation, heavy-truck manoeuvring, vehicle operability checks, cargo securing, depot parking, breakdown support, transport equipment and basic motor-vehicle mechanics.

Salary context

Pay comparisons depend on emergency coverage, vehicle size, call-out responsibility, safety risk, depot or roadside work, customer contact, mechanical knowledge and responsibility for damaged or impounded vehicles.

Career paths

Career paths can move toward senior recovery driving, heavy-vehicle transport, roadside assistance coordination, depot operations, vehicle service, dispatch support or specialist recovery work.

Good to know

Check whether adverts name emergency towing, shift coverage, truck type, recovery equipment, vehicle loading, damage checks, customer support and safety procedures at the scene.

Editorial note

This guide is editorial career context. It is not official labour-market statistics or role-specific salary data.

Alternative labels

Occupation group

Heavy truck and lorry drivers (8332)

Source facts