Hiring guideRead at source, 29 September 2026
How to Recruit Tow Truck Drivers: Match the License to the Truck, Then Be Honest About On-Call
To recruit tow truck drivers, match the license requirement to the truck and advertise light-duty and heavy-duty as separate jobs. A light-duty rollback under 26,001 lb usually needs no CDL, so you can hire from the large pool of delivery and service drivers. Then put the pay model, the on-call rotation and whether the truck is take-home in the first lines of a Facebook or Instagram ad, ask about license and driving record on a short mobile form, and call back the same day.
Who you are recruiting
BLS does not publish tow truck drivers as their own occupation. It lists "tow truck operator" as an example title inside heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers, so the national figures below describe that whole occupation, most of which is freight driving. The comparison rows show the other driving jobs your candidates are weighing.
| Occupation | Employed, 2025 | Openings a year, 2025-35 | Median annual wage, May 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers (includes tow truck operators) | 2,221,200 | 214,500 | $58,640 |
| Light truck drivers | 1,068,500 | 107,200 | $44,860 |
| Automotive service technicians and mechanics | 825,800 | 66,200 | $50,620 |
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2025-35; BLS, May 2025 median annual wage.
The practical split is by truck, not title. Light-duty and roadside drivers run wheel-lifts and rollbacks on cars and pickups. Heavy-duty operators recover trucks, buses and equipment, which is rigging and winching work as much as driving, and they are courted by every freight carrier in your area. Our tow truck driver job description has a template for each.
When a tow truck driver needs a CDL
FMCSA's guidance says the tow truck and the vehicle it tows "are treated the same as any other powered unit towing a non-powered unit," and the vehicle groups in 49 CFR 383.91 decide the class. Reading FMCSA's tow truck answer:
- Class A: the combination is rated 26,001 lb or more and the towed vehicle alone is rated over 10,000 lb.
- Class B: the tow truck alone is rated 26,001 lb or more and it runs empty or tows a vehicle rated 10,000 lb or less.
- Class C: only when towing a hazardous materials vehicle on a "subsequent move," after the first move to a repair facility.
Below those thresholds, no CDL is required federally. Requiring one for a light-duty rollback shrinks your pool for no legal reason. No CDL does not mean no rules, though. In interstate commerce, a vehicle rated 10,001 lb or more is a commercial motor vehicle under 49 CFR 390.5, and its driver generally must be at least 21 (49 CFR 391.11) and carry a medical examiner's certificate (49 CFR 391.41). Some states also license tow operators; Texas, for example, runs a tow licensing program through TDLR. Requirements vary by state, so confirm yours before you write the requirements line. This is not legal advice.
Where to find tow truck drivers
- Delivery, courier and service drivers. The biggest pool for light-duty work: they already drive all day, know the roads and are used to customers. Our delivery driver recruiting guide covers how that pool behaves.
- Mechanics, lube and tire techs. People who understand vehicles and want to be on the road. They tend to learn safe hookups quickly.
- CDL drivers tired of being away from home. For heavy-duty, the pitch is home every night. Say it plainly.
- Your own drivers' networks. Towing is a word-of-mouth trade; pay a referral bonus once the new driver has stayed 90 days.
- Retired first responders and military vehicle operators. Comfortable at crash scenes and with night work.
Tow drivers are rarely searching a job board for "tow truck driver." They scroll Facebook and Instagram between calls and after shifts, which is where a clear ad reaches them.
How to recruit tow truck drivers: what the ad must say
An experienced tow driver checks four things first: the license the truck needs, how pay works, how often they are on call, and whether the truck goes home with them.
- License in the title. "Light-Duty Tow Driver, No CDL Required" or "Heavy-Duty Wrecker Operator, Class A." That one line decides who applies.
- Pay model written out. Hourly, commission per call or a hybrid. If commission, give the percentage, the hourly floor and what a normal week pays. "Up to" numbers with no formula read as a trap.
- On-call frequency and pay. How many nights and weekends, and what an on-call shift or call-out pays. See our guide to on-call pay laws.
- Take-home truck, training and gear. Whether you train on wheel-lift, rollback and winching, and what you supply.
Sample headlines. "Tow Driver, No CDL Needed: we train, take-home truck." "Heavy-Duty Recovery Operator: home every night, rotator experience a plus." "Roadside and light-duty driver: one on-call night a week, paid." Put the actual rate, commission formula and rotation in the ad body.
Screening questions for the application
- What license do you hold? (No CDL, Class B, Class A.) Knockout only for the class your truck legally requires.
- Do you have a valid driver's license with no suspensions? (Knockout; define your insurer's driving record standard later, at the MVR check.)
- Can you work an on-call rotation that includes nights and weekends? (Knockout if the job requires it.)
- Have you towed or run roadside calls before? (Informational for light-duty.)
Do not ask for age on the form unless a legal minimum applies to the job, and leave detailed record checks to the MVR stage. See pre-screening questions.
Speed and the first weeks
Drivers who apply are often between calls. Text within minutes, set a ride-along for the next day or two, and run the MVR and any drug test promptly. If your trucks require DOT testing, our DOT drug testing requirements guide covers the rules. New drivers leave when the first month's on-call load or pay does not match what they were told, so put both in the offer letter.
What it costs to recruit tow truck drivers
Boostpoint does not report tow drivers as their own family. Across all roles in Boostpoint's 2026 benchmark, the median campaign cost $13.88 per applicant, and the Transportation and Logistics sector had a median of $13.34. What moves the number most is the apply experience: campaigns with a 20-35% apply rate paid $4.41 per applicant against $53.77 for those under 5%. A short form with license and on-call questions keeps you in the better bands. Full data is on the benchmarks page. Cost per applicant is not cost per hire.
Frequently asked questions
How do you recruit tow truck drivers?
Split light-duty and heavy-duty into separate ads, put the license the truck needs in the job title, write out the pay model and the on-call rotation, run the ads on Facebook and Instagram, and call or text applicants the same day.
Do tow truck drivers need a CDL?
It depends on the truck and what it tows. Per FMCSA guidance, a tow truck rated 26,001 lb or more needs a Class B, a 26,001 lb combination towing a vehicle rated over 10,000 lb needs a Class A, and lighter trucks generally need no CDL. State rules can add requirements.
Where do you find tow truck drivers?
Delivery and courier drivers, mechanics and tire techs who want to drive, CDL drivers who want to be home every night, your drivers' referrals, and retired first responders. Most are reached with social ads rather than job boards.
How old do you have to be to drive a tow truck?
For interstate driving of a vehicle rated 10,001 lb or more, federal rules generally require drivers to be at least 21 under 49 CFR 391.11. For intrastate light-duty work, state law and your insurer set the minimum.
What should tow truck driver ads say about pay?
State whether pay is hourly, commission or both, give the commission percentage and the hourly floor, and say what a normal week pays. Also state on-call frequency and on-call pay.
What do tow truck drivers earn?
BLS counts tow truck operators inside heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers, whose May 2025 median annual wage was $58,640. That figure is mostly freight drivers; towing pay varies with the truck, the pay model and the market.
How much does it cost to recruit a tow truck driver on Facebook?
Boostpoint does not report tow drivers separately. Across all roles in the 2026 benchmark the median campaign cost $13.88 per applicant, and the Transportation and Logistics sector median was $13.34. Cost per applicant is not cost per hire.
Is there a tow truck driver shortage?
No federal source measures one. BLS does not count tow truck drivers separately; it includes tow truck operators in heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers, which BLS Employment Projections 2025-35 put at 2,221,200 jobs in 2025, projected to grow 3.8% by 2035, with about 214,500 openings a year. Nearly all of those openings come from replacing drivers who leave rather than from growth, and most of the occupation is freight driving. What towing companies feel locally is competition: heavy-duty operators with a CDL are courted by every freight carrier, while light-duty work under 26,001 lb usually needs no CDL and can draw on delivery, courier and service drivers. Recruiting those adjacent pools is usually the fix, as the sections above explain.
Fill the next rotation before the next call comes in
Boostpoint Attract runs separate light-duty and heavy-duty tow driver ads on Facebook and Instagram, with the creative made for you and a short mobile form. Boostpoint Connect texts every applicant the moment they apply, so you reach drivers between calls. See our trucking and CDL recruiting hub, or check pricing and book a demo.
Book a DemoSources: BLS Employment Projections 2025-35 (SOC 53-3032, 53-3033, 49-3023); BLS, May 2025 median annual wage; FMCSA CDL guidance for tow truck operators; 49 CFR 383.91, 390.5, 391.11 and 391.41 (eCFR); Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation towing program; Boostpoint 2026 Social Job Advertising Benchmark. Read at source 29 September 2026.