You have more options than you think, and several may cost little or nothing if you work the list in order. Free HERO help covers breakdowns on I-10, Loop 375 and US 54 during set hours. Your insurance policy may already include towing and labor coverage. And if the car isn’t worth fixing, a buyer who handles the tow can take it off your hands. The one move to avoid is letting the car get pulled to storage, where fees stack up fast.

Quick Tow EP is a referral service. We connect drivers with independent local tow operators. The driver hires and pays the operator directly, and the operator quotes the price. Quick Tow EP does no towing, roadside work or storage itself.

Get safe first, then sort out money

Before anything else, get yourself and your passengers out of traffic. On a freeway, exit on the passenger side and stand well behind the barrier. In summer heat, wait in the shade if you can, and keep water handy. If a dust storm hits, pull off the pavement as far as possible, stop, turn off lights, set the emergency brake and take your foot off the brake; never stop on the traveled portion of the roadway (NWS). Once everyone is safe, you can start working through the options below in order. Most people skip straight to “how much is a tow,” but the cheaper answers come earlier in the list.

1. Check whether you’re on a HERO highway

TxDOT runs the Highway Emergency Response Operator program, known as HERO, in El Paso County. It launched June 15, 2020, and patrols three stretches: I-10 from Transmountain Rd. (mile marker 6) to Horizon Blvd. (mile marker 38), Loop 375 from I-10 West to Paisano, and US 54 from McCombs to Loop 375 (TxDOT).

HERO crews provide these at no cost: changing flat tires and adding air, gas, diesel and water, battery jump starts, minor vehicle repairs, cell phone service, and drinking water for stranded motorists. Hours are Monday to Friday 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Call 915-790-HERO (4376). In an emergency, call 911 first.

One limit matters here. HERO’s job is helping stranded motorists and keeping traffic moving on those highways. TxDOT does not describe it as a service that tows your car to a shop of your choice. If the car can’t be fixed on the spot, plan on a private tow anyway. Still, a free jump start or tire change might get you home and save the whole tow. If you break down on US 54, our guide to breaking down on US 54 walks through the specifics, and there’s more on the program in our post on TxDOT HERO free roadside help in El Paso.

2. Check your insurance and any benefits you already pay for

Call your insurance agent or the number on your card and ask two questions: do I have towing and labor coverage, and what’s the dollar limit? The Texas Department of Insurance says towing and labor coverage pays to tow your car if it can’t be driven, and pays for labor to change a flat tire or jump-start your battery (TDI). It has a dollar limit, the most the company will pay. If the cost is higher, you pay the difference.

Two things to know before you lean on it. A company can refuse to renew your towing and labor coverage if you have four towing and labor claims in 36 months. And don’t confuse it with rental reimbursement, which pays for a rental if your car is stolen or being repaired after an accident. That won’t help a mechanical breakdown. Our post on whether insurance pays for towing in Texas goes deeper.

Then check everything else you carry. Credit cards, auto club add-ons, cell phone plans and some employer or military benefits include roadside help. For on-post towing, impound or gate-access questions at Fort Bliss, contact installation authorities directly. Our breakdown of what roadside plans cover in El Paso lists the common ones.

Can you call a membership service if you’re not a member?

You can call, but expect to be asked to join and pay a membership fee before they dispatch, or to be quoted a retail rate. That’s a new expense, not a free tow. If you’re already covered through a card or plan, call that number instead. If you’re not covered by anything, our post on roadside help without a membership covers the pay-as-you-go route.

3. Get a price before anyone is dispatched

This is the step that protects you most. When you call an operator, ask for the total price before you agree to dispatch, and ask what it includes. A tow you call for yourself is a consent tow, and the operator you hire sets the price. No state maximum table applies to it. That’s different from a police-ordered or private-property tow, which is capped. For those, inside El Paso city limits the City of El Paso caps a light duty nonconsent tow at $100.00, a medium duty at $350.00 and a heavy duty at $450.00 under Section 12.54.020 of the city code (El Paso Police). Outside city limits, the TDLR statewide maximums apply unless a local rule sets lower ones. Our post on Texas towing fee limits explains which caps apply where.

Ask the operator these questions in one call:

  • What’s the total, including any hookup, mileage or after-hours charge?
  • Is that the full price to my address, or can it change?
  • Do you take the payment method I have?
  • How far are you taking it?

Write down the name, phone number and quoted price. If you’re comparing, our post on tow truck cost in El Paso gives you the vocabulary for the conversation.

4. Tow the shortest distance you can

Where the car goes changes the bill. A short tow to your home or a family member’s driveway is usually less than a long tow across town to a shop. If the car is going to sit until you can afford repairs, home is the cheaper destination, and it keeps the car out of a storage lot. Ask the operator for the total to each destination and compare, since a shorter distance is generally cheaper on a consent tow priced by the operator. Our pages for Northeast El Paso and Downtown El Paso show the areas we refer in.

5. If the car isn’t worth fixing, sell it with the tow included

When the repair costs more than the car, stop paying to move it. Ask the buyer whether pickup is included, and get the offer and pickup terms in writing before agreeing, so the car leaves and you get paid instead of billed. Don’t hand over the title until you agree on the terms. Our posts on selling a junk car for cash in El Paso and junk car paperwork in Texas cover the money side.

The title steps matter, so handle them properly:

  • Sign the title over to the buyer with the date of sale and odometer reading.
  • Give the buyer a signed Application for Texas Title and/or Registration (Form 130-U) with the sales price (TxDMV).
  • File a Vehicle Transfer Notification. If you file within 30 days of the sale, you can’t be held responsible for parking tickets and toll violations the buyer commits. Under Transportation Code Section 501.147, a seller who files it has no vicarious civil or criminal liability for the buyer’s later use, operation or abandonment of the vehicle (Texas Statutes).
  • Keep your license plates if you’ll transfer them to another vehicle of the same class. Plates you don’t keep must be defaced on the front, for example with permanent black ink. The registration sticker does not transfer.
  • Title questions go to TxDMV at (888) 368-4689 or (512) 465-3000.

If a buyer won’t handle the tow, a junk car removal referral can move it, and you pay that operator directly.

6. Keep the car out of storage

Storage is where a bad day turns into a bill you can’t dig out of. Daily lot fees add up while you sort out money. At a Texas vehicle storage facility, release requires photo ID, proof of ownership and payment of towing and storage fees, but you may access the car to get documents and personal property at no charge. Under City of El Paso Code Section 12.54.060, when a vehicle towed on a police-ordered tow is released from a storage facility, an additional $20 fee is collected and remitted to the police department. A police-ordered tow is one directed by an officer under Transportation Code Section 545.305 or an incident management tow. Separately, a vehicle towed to a city-owned vehicle storage facility is charged a $20 impoundment fee before release. That city-owned-facility fee is separate and unconditional. TDLR’s $20 impoundment fee is different: it is conditional, applies only when the facility had to protect a car with broken or open doors, windows, trunk, hood or similar, plus an inventory or registration lookup, and the bill must list the exact services. If your car has already been towed, our guides to getting a car out of the El Paso impound and El Paso impound fees explain the process. Move fast, ask the facility for the release total and accepted payment methods, and remember that at a Texas VSF you may access the car to get ownership documents and personal property without a fee.

Frequently asked questions

What do I do if I need a tow but have no money?

Work the free options first. If you’re on I-10, Loop 375 or US 54 during HERO hours, call 915-790-HERO and see whether the crew can fix the problem on the spot. Then call your insurer about towing and labor coverage. If neither helps, ask an operator for a total price before dispatch and tow the shortest distance, often home instead of a shop.

Can I get a free tow in El Paso?

HERO roadside help on three highways during set hours is free. Fort Bliss Auto Crafts (Army MWR) runs a towing service open to DOD ID cardholders, Tuesday to Saturday 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., phone (915) 568-7280, with listed fees of $50 for a tow to Fort Bliss Auto Crafts plus $2 per mile after the first 5 miles, and $75 for a tow to any other location plus $2 per mile after the first 5 miles. Otherwise plan on insurance coverage or a paid tow.

Does car insurance pay for a tow?

It can, if you bought towing and labor coverage. The Texas Department of Insurance says it pays to tow a car that can’t be driven and covers labor for a tire change or jump start, up to a dollar limit. If the tow costs more than the limit, you pay the difference. Check your policy before you assume you’re covered.

Is it cheaper to tow home than to a shop?

A shorter tow is generally cheaper on a consent tow priced by the operator, and keeping the car at home avoids storage lot fees while you sort out money. Ask for the total to each destination and compare.

Can a junk car buyer tow my car for free?

Ask the buyer whether pickup is included, and get the offer and pickup terms in writing before agreeing. Treat the tow as part of the offer, not a separate free service. Complete the title paperwork, including the Vehicle Transfer Notification within 30 days, so you’re not on the hook for what happens to the car later.

What if I cannot afford to get my car out of impound?

Call the storage facility right away and ask what the release total is and what payment they accept. Note that a vehicle storage facility must let you access the car to get ownership documents and personal property without a fee. Our guide to getting a car out of the El Paso impound walks through the steps.

When to call for a tow

Call for a tow when the car can’t be made safe or drivable on the spot, when HERO isn’t available or can’t fix it, and when you’ve lined up the shortest destination you can afford. Have your quoted price and payment method ready before dispatch. Call (915) 320-5573 and Quick Tow EP will connect you with an independent local tow operator.