Hillsborough Commissioners Vote 7-0 to Advance Higher Towing Rates: Class A Hook Fee Headed to $185
Hillsborough County, Florida commissioners voted 7-0 on October 21 to move forward with higher county-regulated towing rates, after operators argued that fuel, labor, insurance and equipment costs have made the current caps hard to live with. Industry representative Justin Heller told the board costs have climbed more than 40% in six years, with a tow truck that cost about $72,000 in 2019 now costing about $140,000.
The advancing proposal raises the Class A hook fee, covering most cars, SUVs and pickups, from $160 to $185, mileage from $6 to $7, and daily storage from $35 to $40, with increases for heavier vehicles and new set rates for specialty recovery. It also includes a conditional $25 fuel surcharge that would trigger only when federal Lower Atlantic diesel prices top $4 a gallon.
The rates were last adjusted in 2023 and were compared with other Florida counties. The vote does not put the new prices in effect: the county attorney's office must draft a resolution that returns to the board for a final vote. The county caps apply mainly to police-ordered and private-property trespass tows. Commissioner Christine Miller, who made the motion, said the goal was a fair rate for the industry with appropriate protections for the public.
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图片来源：Hillsborough 县法院大楼（Tampa）。Public domain，经 Wikimedia Commons。 | Photo: Hillsborough County Courthouse in Tampa. Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
