Towing companies in Ontario

The rules that protect you

Ontario has Canada's strictest towing rules. Since January 1, 2024, the Towing and Storage Safety and Enforcement Act (TSSEA) requires every tow operator, driver and storage yard to hold a provincial certificate. In practice that means: the operator must show you their Tow Operator Certificate number on request, get your written consent before hooking up (except police-directed tows), disclose rates before the tow, take you and your vehicle where YOU choose, accept card payment, and give you an itemized invoice. On stretches of the 400-series highways around the GTA, 'tow zones' restrict who can respond to collisions - if police are on scene, follow their direction.

Broken down on the highway

Stuck on the 401, QEW or any 400-series highway: get the vehicle as far onto the shoulder as possible, hazards on, exit on the passenger side and stand well away behind the barrier. Never accept a tow from a truck that simply shows up unsolicited at a collision - under TSSEA you choose your operator and your destination, and 'accident chasers' are the main thing the law was written to stop.

What it should cost

Expect roughly $90–$130 hook-up plus $3.50–$4.75/km in southern Ontario cities, more in the north where distances are long. TSSEA requires operators to publish their maximum rates - ask to see them. Collision tows and storage are billed to your insurer in most cases; get the itemized invoice regardless.

Winter

Snow squalls off the Great Lakes shut down stretches of the 400, 402 and 21 corridor with little warning. Check 511 before winter travel and keep a charged phone - response times in a squall stretch from minutes to hours.